Ancient or modern clocks, watches all very similar
Although modern clocks have changed radically from those early mechanical pendulum clocks, grown much smaller, and even turned into portable configurations like wristwatches, the basic principles and basic parts in most 20th and 21st century mechanical and electrical clocks are fundamentally the same as they were in 15th and 16th century Europe.(I recently made the surprising discovery that portable sundials were actually the predecessors of today's wristwatches and were fairly common throughout the centuries of European history!) Those basic parts and principles for telling time included:
1. An oscillator -- Older mechanical clocks used the regular "vibration" or swing of a pendulum or balance wheel. Modern clocks use a vibrating quartz material, a tuning fork, and/or an electrical current.
2. A controller -- In mechanical clocks, this was a device that gave a "push" to the pendulum or balance wheel to replace energy lost to friction, and it also served to regulate, i.e., divide into regular measurable intervals, the motion of the pendulum or balance wheel. In mechanical clocks this was called the "escapement," and it involved gears and levers that controlled the pendulum. In modern clocks, it's generally an electrical circuit.
3. A power source -- In mechanical clocks this was a weight suspended from a cord draped over a pulley -- or a spring, i.e., the clock's mainspring. In most modern clocks, the power comes from a battery or electrical current, although some still use mainsprings that require winding.
4. A counter chain -- This is the device that counts the pulses or motion and adds it up into seconds, minutes, hours, etc., in mechanical clocks and in modern clocks it does the same thing for the pulses from an electrical current or vibrating quartz.
5. An indicator -- In the oldest mechanical clocks there was no readable "dial" or "face," so the indicator was usually a chime or bell that rang at regular intervals. The earliest clocks with faces or dials were analog clocks which display the time as moving hands that revolve around a circle with marked intervals on it. Modern clocks and watches are either analog or digital, i.e., a changing light display of numeric digits indicating the time.
How would our world be different if clocks had never been invented? No one can say. As humans, we're always conscious of sequence in the world and in our lives. We live from past to present to future -- and even if what we call "clocks" had never been invented, time would still exist and we still would have found some way to track it. Wall clocks, table clocks, wristwatches -- even that beautiful Bulova Men's Marine Star Chronograph Watch given to you by Grandpa last Christmas! -- of some sort would have been invented by someone somewhere.
But what an amazing debt we owe to clocks and timepieces. Without them, it's hard to imagine an industrialized world. A world without clocks and watches would be chaotic. Even if we're casual about dates, time frames, schedules, deadlines, and all the rest -- we still rely on marking and measuring the time to mark and measure our lives.
Like it or not we live the way we do because of clocks and watches. Whether we're using them to add beauty to our homes and gardens, or demanding the utmost in timekeeping accuracy, we run our world by our clocks and watches.
Skagen watches blend design, function, great prices
Named for the Danish beach town of Skagen, the watches from Sakgen Design have combined the beauty of design with excellent quality and functionality since they began manufacturing watches and clocks over two decades ago.
Founded by two entrepreneurs from Copenhagen, Denmark, Henrik and Charlotte Jorst, the company strives to blend the clean elegance of Danish practicality of design with quality watches, sunglasses, jewelry, and other personal accessories. Skagen watches are built on the premise that elegance and accuracy can coexist and, indeed, be found at a reasonable price.
One of our newest online merchant partners, The Watch Co., is an authorized Skagen dealer and offers great pricing on the complete line of Skagen watches.
Skagen manufactures a wide line of men's and women's watches, made from materials ranging from space-age metal alloys such as titanium to old-fashioned and elegant leather bands. Their styles range from sports chronographs to elegant dress watches.
Cyber Monday-only prices on great watches for gift-giving!
Find the perfect watches for all your gift giving needs from The Watch Co., one of our finest online merchant partners for quality watches, chronographs, and other fine timepieces. Give the gift of time, or at least a beautiful timepiece! Click on the banner below for some great Cyber-Monday-only deals on fine watches from The Watch Co.:
Don't pass up these terrific offers on the watch pictured in the banner above and on many other fine timepieces from the world's finest quality watch makers. But the sale price above, and other special prices you'll find by clicking on that banner, are only good for today, Cyber Monday.
Enjoy great savings on great wristwatches for everyone on your gift list during this Cyber-Monday-only sale from The Watch Co.!