The Flower Clock (L'Horloge fleurie) is a working clock planted in the lawn at the entrance to Geneva's Jardin Anglais, just where the Pont du Mont-Blanc reaches the left bank of the lake. It was created in 1955 as a tribute to the city's watchmakers, its face is made of thousands of living plants that change with the seasons, and its second hand, 2.5 metres long, is said to be the longest in the world.
The Flower Clock at a glance
- Where: Jardin Anglais, Quai du Général-Guisan, at the southern end of the Pont du Mont-Blanc.
- Created: 1955; renovated in 2017 with new hands and a new mechanism.
- What it is today: a free open-air landmark, kept by the City of Geneva's parks and gardens service.
- How it keeps time: the time is set electronically by satellite signal.
- Time needed: 10 minutes, or longer if you combine it with a stroll through the park.
A tribute to Geneva's watchmakers
Geneva has been a watchmaking city for centuries, and some of the most famous Swiss manufacturers were founded here. In 1955 the city decided to celebrate that tradition in the most public way possible: with a clock set in a flowerbed at one of the busiest corners of the lakefront, where traffic from the Mont-Blanc bridge meets the old town. The idea was to bring together two things Geneva is proud of, its watchmaking and its parks.
Since then the face has been replanted every season by the city's gardeners, with a new design for spring, summer and autumn, using several thousand flowering plants and shrubs; recent designs have used more than 12,000. In May 2017 the clock was given a two-month overhaul: a new mechanism was installed and new hands, similar in design to the original ones, were donated by the Geneva watchmaker Patek Philippe. A watering system keeps the plants alive, since the bed lies in full sun for much of the day.
What to look for
- The giant second hand sweeping around the dial; it is 2.5 metres long, and you can watch it move from the railing.
- The hour and minute hands, the 2017 replacements in the style of the originals.
- The planting pattern, which changes each season: look at how the gardeners use bands of contrasting colour to frame the dial.
- The setting: the lake, the Jet d'Eau on one side and the bridge to the right bank on the other, all in one view.
- Behind the clock, the start of the Jardin Anglais with its paths, benches and lakeside promenade.
Why Geneva became a city of watches
A story often told in Geneva links the city's watchmaking to the Reformation. In the 16th century, the strict rules of Calvin's Geneva frowned on luxury and jewellery, and many goldsmiths and jewellers are said to have turned their skills to watches instead. Whatever the exact reasons, by the 18th century watchmaking had become one of the city's main trades, and companies founded here then and in the 19th century still have their headquarters in and around Geneva today.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the morning: the light is softer, and there are fewer tour groups lined up along the railing.
- Spring and summer are the best seasons to see the clock in full bloom; in the gaps between plantings parts of the face may be bare.
- Stand slightly to one side for the classic photo with the Jet d'Eau in the background.
- Combine the clock with a walk through the Jardin Anglais and along the quay to the Jet d'Eau.
Nearby
- Jet d'Eau: Geneva's famous lake fountain, shooting water high into the air from the Eaux-Vives jetty, a walk along the quay.
- National Monument: the bronze statue of Geneva and Helvetia in the Jardin Anglais, marking Geneva's entry into the Swiss Confederation in 1815, a minute away.
- Pont du Mont-Blanc and Île Rousseau: the bridge across the Rhône outlet and the small island with a statue of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a few minutes' walk.
- Old Town and St Pierre Cathedral: the hilltop old town above the lakefront, a short walk uphill.
See Geneva with World City Trail
Our Geneva scavenger hunt turns the old town and the lakefront into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 44 minutes of walking. It includes the Basilica of Notre-Dame, the Brunswick Monument, St Pierre Cathedral and the National Monument, which stands in the same park as the Flower Clock, and at each stop you solve a puzzle and hear a story about the city. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch or Chinese.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour of Geneva and an outdoor escape game.
Play the Geneva scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Geneva →
Play the outdoor escape game in Geneva →
Facts checked in October 2026.