10 Sep The Big Ben Clock in Quebec City

The Big Ben Clock in Quebec City

London may be famous for the clock and clock tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, yet the city of Quebec also has its own “Big Ben”, the imposing Clock Jura, set on the grounds of Quebec’s City Hall.

This monumental gift, at 3.5 meters in height and weighing nearly 2 tons, was a gift from the Swiss Canton of Jura to the city of Quebec and was officially inaugurated in September of 2014. The gift that was so generously offered was in celebration the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city. Québec City, in fact, celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008, however, some hiccups in the production and delivery process created some delays, resulting in the belated installation of the gigantic clock.

More than 10,500 hours of work and design went into the clock, the result of the collaboration of a strong team of more than one hundred specialists backed by craftsmanship from 28 different trade bodies.

The clock, valued at more than $ 2.4 million, was designed by the team at Richard Mille’s eponymous company, a firm specializing in high-end watchmaking. Mille is an internationally renowned Swiss who specializes in the design and the creation of luxury watches. Richard Mille watches sell for up to half a million euros.

The mayor of Quebec, Régis Labaume, made the bet that this exceptional piece would become a strong tourist attraction for our city. You can admire the “Lucky Charm”, the nickname given to the clock from Canton Jura at its home in Old Quebec, in front of the Clarendon Hotel near Sainte-Anne Street, just a few minutes walk from the Manoir d’Auteuil.