1857 / 1858
The State of Neuchâtel confirms the construction and the plans of an observatory.
The german Adolphe Hirsch is the founder and the first director at the age of 28. He was born in Halberstadt in Germany.
1859 / 1860
Construction of the first buildings.
1860
Hourly signal sent every day by telegraphic line, to Neuchâtel, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle and Bern.
1880
The time is precise to two hundredth of a second.
1884
Construction of the Chaumont sight (Mountain above Neuchâtel). Agreement with P & T for the distribution of the time signal.
1894
Introduction of universal time. The Observatory continues to send its local time, specifying that the time difference is 1 h. 32 min. 10 s. 4.
1901 April 16th
Death of Dr Hirsch. He gives his fortune to the State of Neuchâtel to build the Hirsch Pavilion.
Mr. Louis Arndt is the second director.
1903
First project for the transmission of the hour by radio waves.
1912
Opening of the Hirsch Pavilion.
1916
First mention of the photographic study of variable stars (Delta Cephei).
1926
Installation of the Quervain–Piccard seismograph. Broadcast, by Radio-Bern, of beats of seconds of one of the pendulums of the Observatory.
astronomique et chronométrique de Neuchâtel – Bulletin de la Société Neuchâteloise des Sciences Naturelles)
1934
Retirement of Mr. Louis Arndt. Mr. Edmond Guyot is the third director.
1938
The Observatory is on the list of the 10 best observatories in the world.
1949
First quartz clock of the Observatory.
1955
Retirement of Mr. Edmond Guyot. He is replaced by Mr. Jean-Pierre Blaser.
1957
Beginning of the Neuchâtel HBN transmitter on 2,5 and 5 MHz, as well as the Münchenbuchsee HBB transmitter on 96 kHz. Beginning of the speaking clock and distribution of time.
1958
Centenary of the Observatory. Presentation of the Ch.-Ed. Guillaume Nobel Prize Medal to the Observatory by his family. First writings on atomic time.
1960
Retirement of Mr. Jean-Pierre Blaser. He is replaced by Mr. Jacques Bonanomi.
1961
The time of the Observatory becomes the standard time in Switzerland.
1964
12th General Conference of Weights and Measurements. It replaces the astronomical unit of the second by that of the cesium clock.
1966
The first quartz clocks beat all the records in the chronometry contest.
1967
The measurements made at the PZT zenith telescope, still collected by the International Bureau of the Hour, are still considered the best in the world. Final adoption on the paper of the atomic second as a unit of time.
1973
The seismology service is only summarily maintained
1974
Donation of the meridian telescope to the Musée international d’horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
1977
It is the end of the definition of the international time by the Observatory. The United States, Canada and Germany are the references.
1981
End of the measures with PZT Telescop.
1988
Retirement of Mr. Jacques Bonanomi. He is replaced by Mr. Giovanni Busca.
2001
Retirement of Mr. Giovanni Busca. He is replaced by Mr. Alain Maurissen.
2007
End of the activities of the Observatory. The institution was dissolved and integrated into the University of Neuchâtel (Time and Frenquency Laboratory) and the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM)
