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A French bronze clock with a 75cm high statue
produced in 1842.
A French clock with its glazed face cast with
bronze and plated with gold (1855).
A French clock made from the Antimoin
material with a glass cap.
Collector Do Duy Ngoc introduces a set of
six rare clocks brand named ATMOS by
J. Lecoultre with the “Air Live” engine that
operates on the basis of heat exchange.
| The attractive house at 129B Nguyen Dinh Chinh Street, Ward 8, Phu Nhuan District in Ho Chi Minh City has for a long time been a destination for people who have a fancy for seeing things of beauty. Inside one can find unique collections of bronze statues, gems, bird cages and particularly a collection of hundreds of clocks. These timepieces of various styles, sizes, materials and colours are displayed on the walls and tables. The owner of the collections is Do Duy Ngoc who has spent dozens of years acquiring these objects as a hobby. With great passion, the 58 year-old man both introduced to us and detailed the objects as well as unique manipulation techniques of ancestors. “The collection consists of 477 clocks made in different countries from around the world”. Pointing to a series of clocks, Do Duy Ngoc added, “They were made during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, each different from the others in terms of the origin, trademark and series. Each clock has its own story and I made great efforts to search out and bargain for them. Furthermore, I was fortunate to acquire them. If you know the way to take care of clocks, they will live. Our ancestors liked beauty, stability, precision and epitome so they wanted to express their respect to time,” he said. “If you look closely, you will recognize the uniqueness in design and the expertise of the artisans, particularly the great attention they paid to style and decoration of clocks. These clocks differ in form, sound and their principle of operation. I think we can agree that only a few objects show creativeness and expression like these”. The collection includes a clock with a wooden drive system operating by a rock tied at the end of chain and another clock with a spring mechanism that after winding keeps time for up to 1,000 days. Also, there is a set of six rare clocks brand named ATMOS by J. Lecoultre with the “Air Live” engine that operates on the basis of heat exchange. These clocks can run for 600 consecutive years. With his collection, Do Duy Ngoc was granted a certificate for being the person with the most wind-up clocks in Vietnam by the Vietnamese Guinness Records. He still keeps on seeking and hoarding as many ancient clocks as possible. | 
A French clock with its Italian marble cover produced in 1863.
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A French clock with a wooden cover carved
in Muslim style and a bronze pendulum
in the 19th century.
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A French clock made of bronze
in the 19th century.
| A British clock made of bronze
in the 19th century.
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French glazed-faced clocks with two holes, carved and inlaid with gold in the early 20th century.
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A French clock in the Art Deco style with six Italian red stone pillars.
| Story by Le Cuong - Photos by Minh Quoc |
