Musée du tour automatique et d’histoire de Moutier
In the Villa Junker, the museum shows a collection of automatic lathes unique in the world and tells the industrial history of Moutier.
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About the museum
The museum goes back to the banker Roger Hayoz, who from 1979 gathered the first automatic lathes. Born in Fribourg, he lived in Moutier and rescued old screw-cutting machines, a typical product of the town, along with many industrial and historical documents. After a long search for an exhibition venue, he founded the museum in 1992 and housed it in the Villa Junker; the foundation followed in 1996. Hayoz died in 2009.
The Villa Junker was built in 1895 and was the residence of the engineer Nicolas Junker. He came to Moutier around 1880 and developed the principle of the automatic lathe there up to series production, thereby bringing precision mechanics to the region. The house and the surrounding buildings show the different phases of industrialisation like an open-air museum.
According to the museum, the collection comprises around a hundred automatic lathes, which document more than a century of mechanical tradition, plus several thousand documents and many objects on the industrial history of Moutier. Volunteers, including former screw-cutting machinists, mechanics and engineers, restore the machines in a workshop of their own and organise the archive holdings. The curator Stéphane Froidevaux runs the museum.
Highlights
- Collection of around a hundred automatic lathes, unique in the world
- Villa Junker of 1895 as the museum's home
- Machines by well-known manufacturers, including Tornos, Petermann and Lambert
- Industrial history of the Prévôté and of Moutier
- Guided tours in three languages
Permanent exhibitions
- Sammlung der Drehautomaten – Around a hundred automatic lathes show the development of Moutier's screw-cutting technology over more than a century.
- Villa Junker und Museumspark – The villa of the engineer Nicolas Junker and its surroundings tell of the industrialisation of the Prévôté.
- Founded
- 1992
- Operated by
- Fondation du Musée du tour automatique et d’histoire de Moutier
- Director
- Stéphane Froidevaux
Admission & discounts
| Adults | CHF 7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | CHF 5Students, old-age pension (AHV) recipients |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 15 |
| Seniors | CHF 5AHV |
| Students & apprentices | CHF 5 |
| Groups (20+ people) | CHF 7 per personFor guided tours of 20 or more people, the normal admission price applies without surcharge (students/AHV CHF 5). |
| Guided tour for groups of fewer than 20 people (surcharge) | CHF 10one-off amount, regardless of the number of people |
Prices exclude a guided tour. With the Jura Pass, 20% discount on the adult price; free admission with ICOM, AMS or Museum Pass on presentation.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Aux Laives
Bus stop “Aux Laives”.
By car
Free parking
Free parking opposite the museum.
By car via the A16, exit “Moutier Sud”; the museum is in the immediate vicinity of the motorway exit.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The restaurant-cafeteria “Les Deux Tours” is nearby (closed on weekends).
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 75 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours in French, German and English; visits by prior appointment. |
