Watch museums
Museum for Islamic Art (L. A. Mayer), Jerusalem
The L. A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem, established in 1974, is known for its collection of Islamic art from Spain to India. For watch enthusiasts it is famous for the Salomons collection of clocks and watches, including the Breguet "Marie Antoinette" watch, which was stolen in 1983 and recovered more than two decades later.
- Location
- Jerusalem, Israel
- Address
- 2 HaPalmach Street, Jerusalem
- Opened
- 1974
- Type
- Museum
History of the museum
The museum was founded by Vera Bryce Salomons, daughter of Sir David Lionel Salomons, in memory of Leo Aryeh Mayer, a scholar of Islamic art and rector of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who died in 1959. Construction of the building, designed by Alexander Friedman, began in 1965, and the museum was established in 1974. Salomons specified that it should remain financially independent and not rely on public funding. Its first director was Gabriel Moriah; Nadim Sheiban became director in 2014.
What you can see
The permanent display covers Islamic art from Spain to India. On the entrance floor, galleries present the story of Islam, early Islamic art and art of the Middle Ages; the top floor covers late Iranian art and the Qajar, Ottoman and Mughal periods. Objects include pottery, textiles, jewelry, glass, metalware, weapons and historic games, as well as a carpet collection added in 1999. The museum also stages temporary exhibitions.
For watch and clock lovers, the key holding is the Watches Collection on the ground floor: the rare watch collection of Sir David Lionel Salomons, a major collector of Abraham-Louis Breguet. The museum describes it as one of the three rarest watch collections in the world and says it contains 55 unique Breguet watches, the largest such group anywhere. The museum's audio guide of selected items includes:
- Breguet No. 160, "Marie Antoinette" perpétuelle (Paris, 1783–1820) – the highlight of the collection, which the museum calls "the 18th-century smartphone". It was reputedly ordered for Queen Marie Antoinette (the commission is often attributed to Count Axel von Fersen, though this is uncertain) and built from 823 components, combining a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, thermometer, power reserve indicator, automatic winding and Breguet's "Pare-Chute" shock protection. The queen died long before it was finished.
- Sympathique carriage clock with pocket watch – a clock with Breguet watch No. 722 resting in a cradle on top.
- Breguet No. 6, a double-dialed Revolutionary timepiece (Paris, 1797), and Breguet No. 4214, a half-quarter repeating watch (Paris, 1827).
- Non-Breguet pieces such as a butterfly-shaped musical box with automaton and watch by Piguet et Meylan (Geneva, around 1820) and a singing-bird box with watch.
The 1983 theft and the recovery
On Sunday morning, 17 April 1983, staff discovered that 106 rare timepieces from the Salomons collection had been stolen, including the Marie Antoinette watch. The case remained unsolved for more than twenty years. In August 2006 a Tel Aviv appraiser contacted the museum about objects held by a lawyer on behalf of a woman who had inherited them from her late husband. The pieces, including the Marie Antoinette watch and the Sympathique clock, were returned, and the recovery became public in 2007. Police identified the thief as Naaman Diller, who had died in 2004 and had hidden the loot in safe deposit boxes in several countries. His widow was later convicted of possessing stolen property. Further timepieces were found in French bank safes in 2008; in total, 96 of the 106 stolen pieces were recovered.
Why it matters for watch collectors
The Marie Antoinette is one of the most celebrated complicated watches in history, and its disappearance and return made it one of the best-known watch thefts. The Salomons collection as a whole is an important reference for Breguet's work.
Visiting
The museum is at 2 HaPalmach Street in Jerusalem's Katamon neighborhood, near the Jerusalem Theatre, served by bus route 13. On Saturdays the museum parking lot is free for visitors, space permitting. Opening hours according to the official website (as of 2026): Monday to Wednesday 10:00–15:00, Thursday 10:00–16:00, Friday and Saturday 10:00–14:00. Adult admission is 44 NIS, a child ticket 25 NIS (as of 2026). Tickets can be ordered online. The website does not say whether every piece is on view at a given time, so check with the museum before visiting for a specific watch.
Related brands
Opening hours, prices and exhibitions change. Please check the official website before your visit.
Sources (7)
Frequently asked questions
Is the Breguet Marie Antoinette watch in the Museum for Islamic Art?
Yes. It is the highlight of Sir David Salomons' watch collection, which the museum shows in its ground-floor Watches Collection and includes in its audio guide of selected items.
When was the Marie Antoinette watch stolen?
Staff discovered the theft on Sunday morning, 17 April 1983. 106 rare timepieces from the Salomons collection were taken.
How was the watch recovered?
In August 2006 a Tel Aviv appraiser contacted the museum about items held for the widow of the thief, Naaman Diller. The watch was returned and the recovery became public in 2007.
How many Breguet watches does the museum have?
The museum says the Salomons collection contains 55 unique Breguet watches, the largest such collection in the world.
What are the opening hours and prices?
According to the official website (as of 2026): Mon–Wed 10:00–15:00, Thu 10:00–16:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–14:00; adults 44 NIS, children 25 NIS.
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