The clock that runs backwards.
It has for 260 years.
In 1764, a clock with Hebrew numerals was mounted on the Jewish Town Hall in Prague. Hebrew reads right to left, so the hands follow. This is the story of that clock, and of the watch our family designed from it.
The story
Time has run backwards here for 260 years
The Old New Synagogue opens
In the heart of Prague's Jewish Quarter, the Altneuschul opens its doors. It has never closed. Today it is the oldest active synagogue in Europe, and the watch you are looking at carries its name.
The clock that refuses to turn right
A clock with Hebrew numerals is mounted on the Jewish Town Hall next door. Hebrew reads right to left, so the hands follow, moving counter-clockwise. Tourists still stop under it, convinced it is broken. It has kept perfect time its own way ever since.
The clock becomes a watch
The ALTNEU scales 260 years of backwards time down to 38 mm. Hebrew numerals, counter-clockwise hands, a Japanese Miyota movement engineered to run in reverse for decades. Designed by our family in Prague, a few streets from the clock itself.
Someone at dinner will notice it and ask if it is broken.
That is the moment this watch was built for.
So we made one you can carry.
One clock, kept since 1764. Three ways to wear it.
ALTNEU 1764
Black dial, gold Hebrew numerals — the way it hangs on the tower. Our top line.
5.977,00 Kč
Shop the 1764 →
Most popular
ALTNEU — 2026 Edition
White dial with the Town Hall emblem. Swedish Hat crown, quick-release straps.
From 4.377,00 Kč
Shop the 2026 →
Women's ALTNEU
A smaller case, the same 260-year story. The gift for her.
From 2.377,00 Kč
Shop Women's →
We're selling off the previous model from 2.877,00 Kč — same backwards dial, lower price. Last pieces →
Strangers see a watch.
Your people see everything.
Some men have started tucking the chain inside the shirt. We understand the instinct. We disagree with the conclusion.
To a stranger, the ALTNEU is a clean dial on a leather strap. To anyone who reads Hebrew, it says everything without saying a word. It starts the conversations you want and skips the ones you don't.
Quiet is not the same as hidden.
Worn around the world. Asked about everywhere.
Our story Náš příběh
Twenty years in the Jewish Quarter.
Online since 2024.
Dvacet let v Židovské čtvrti.
Online od roku 2024.
For more than twenty years, our father sold Judaica in person, from his shop at the Jewish Museum in Prague, to visitors from every corner of the world. In 2024 we brought the family trade online as Prague Judaica. Náš táta prodával judaiku přes dvacet let osobně, ve svém obchodě u Židovského muzea v Praze, návštěvníkům z celého světa. V roce 2024 jsme rodinné řemeslo přenesli na internet jako Prague Judaica.
The shops of Prague's Jewish Quarter carry our pieces to this day, we supply them wholesale. Only one thing changed: you no longer have to fly to Prague. Obchody v pražské Židovské čtvrti naše kusy prodávají dodnes, dodáváme jim je velkoobchodně. Změnilo se jediné: už za nimi nemusíte letět do Prahy.
When you order, one of us packs it. When you write to us, one of us writes back. Když si objednáte, balí to jeden z nás. Když nám napíšete, odpoví vám jeden z nás.
A detail most will miss. You won't.
ONLY IN 2026 EDITION
The crown of each Altneu watch bears the “Swedish Hat,” a historic emblem of the Prague Jewish community.
It commemorates the defense of the city against Swedish forces in 1648 — a symbol of courage, resilience, and recognition.
A subtle detail to most. A signature to those who know.
Only on the 2026 edition.
FAQ
Will people know it's Jewish?
Does the watch really run backwards?
Is it difficult to read the time?
Is this a historical design?
Is the 2026 edition different from the original?
Do you ship to the US?
It has run backwards since 1764.
It has never stopped.
The clock is still on the tower. The family is still in the Quarter. Your watch ships from Prague this week.
Shop the ALTNEU