Since the founding of the Banco Nacional de San Carlos (considered to be the earliest forerunner of the Banco de España) at its original headquarters on Calle de la Luna in Madrid, clocks have always formed part of the (internal) history of the institution. With their blend of craft and art, they have not only hung on the walls of offices and halls to mark the timing of day-to-day tasks and the working hours of staff there but have also presided over the bank's buildings and areas of financial operations, such as the trading floor.

After a painstaking process of study and cataloguing by Amelia Aranda Huete, who holds a PhD in History of Art from the Complutense University of Madrid and specialises in the history of clockmaking, the Banco de España presents the first catalogue raisonné of the extraordinary collection of timepieces that it has built up over its more than 200 years of history. This study is the first step in a broader project undertaken by the bank to investigate, catalogue, disseminate and give the public access to those collections once thought of as minor or luxury art forms such as tapestries, furnishings and ceramics.

The public presentation of the catalogue will take place at our Madrid headquarters on Plaza Cibeles at 7 pm on Thursday 20 April. The event will feature Amelia Aranda Huete as the author of the research study and the specialist responsible for the cataloguing work that has gone into the document. Also appearing will be journalist and writer Justo Navarro, who is featured in the work with an essay entitled Las horas de números vestidas ['The Hours in Numbers Garbed’], in which he analyses and highlights the crucial role played by clocks as instruments per se but also as motifs and objects in numerous art works, given their ornamental value and their innumerable symbolic and philosophical connotations, in the history of art and especially in shaping our heritage collection.

Participants at the event will also include Alejandro Álvarez, Director General of Services at the Banco de España, and Yolanda Romero, curator of the Banco de España collection. If you would like to attend the presentation, you will need to book in advance here. The deadline for bookings is Thursday 13 April.