History of Clocks

Hi, this is Moe.

My blog's theme is...

CLOCK / WATCH !!!

I like them very much but I think I don't know much about them...

So, I will write this blog after some research every time.

I'm looking forward to knowing much more about clocks or watches,
and hope you have the same experience :)




So, this is the first article, the title is "History of Clocks",
 I will write brief history of clocks since it started from twentieth century B.C.


The history could be divided into three parts.

<before mechanical clock>, <mechanical clock>, <electric clock>.

Let's start from before mechanical clock  era.



<before mechanical clock >---from 2000 B.C. to around 700 A.D.
In this era, some types of clocks were invented.

sundial (see the picture on the right)

: This is the oldest type of clock. People knew time from shadow, but its weak point was that it only could be used in the sunny daytime.

water clock
: People knew time from how much water flowed. This clock can be used in non-sunny daytime and nighttime, too. But it still has a weak point: being subject to climate. That is, when it is cold, water turns into ice, and when it is hot, water evaporates. These makes it impossible to show exact time.

sandglass
: This type of clocks can be seen in modern life, too. The difference is that it is made for longer time; like thirty minutes, an hour, three hours, etc. Its weak point is that the person who must turn upside down might sleep, or feel tiresome and do it before the all sand falls.

candle clock
: People knew how much time had passed from the length of burning candle. Fuse and stick of incense are also used.



These are kind of primitive clocks, so to speak.
Let's check the advance!


<mechanical clock>---from around 1300s to 1913
In this era, clocks' source of power is flat spiral springs or weight.

Explaining the mechanism of these clocks is too difficult for me, so I will introduce a man who contributed to clock's history, instead.

His name is Christiaan Huygens.
He was a prominent Dutch mathematician, astronomer, physicist and horologist.
He invented pendulum clock in 1656.
Nine years later, he invented a clock equipped with flat spiral springs.
This is said to be the first practical mechanical clock in the world.

<electric clock>---1918~
In this era, more advanced clocks were invented.

The mechanism of clocks in this era is also too difficult for me to explain.
But, what I can state is that clocks are more advanced; from coming to use batteries to timing by using spectral line of atoms (these clocks are called "atomic clock").



From sundial to atomic clock, human made a big progress through thousands of years.
Many clocks timed such a vast time throughout the history.... so magnificent.