From sundials to modern-day watches: How clocks evolved through ages
Timekeeping was one of humanity's first inventions, and it has advanced significantly since antiquity. Did you know that the earliest method of telling the time of the day was by using the shadows from the sun? Obelisks (a tall tower of stone) were first used by the ancient Egyptians to gauge the sun's shadow to tell the time of the day, around 3,500 BC. The Egyptians kept evolving and invented water clocks, which were later used in ancient China, India, Babylon, Greece, Persia, Mesopotamia, Rome, and Persia. Sundials, however, remained a prevalent method of telling the time until the early 19th century. The invention of the sundials is credited to ancient Egyptians. The Old Testament makes references to them as well. The time stick, which was used in India, Tibet, and Persia, and the candle clock of ancient Japan, ancient China, Mesopotamia, and England, were other types of ancient clocks. But who invented clocks as we see them today? Let’s find out more about the emergence and journey of clocks through ages.
The first mechanical clock
The first mechanical clock was constructed by I Hsing, a Chinese Buddhist monk (683-727) in 723 AD. He was a mathematician and philosopher from China. This clock did not act as a traditional mechanical clock. Rather, it was an astronomical clock. Instead of having moving hour or minute hands, it moved symbols of celestial bodies such as the sun and moon to indicate their positions at various times of the day.
Early mechanical clocks were developed by the Greeks, Romans, and Chinese. They had an intricate striking mechanism that was driven by pulleys and weights. These heavy clocks were typically found in churches. The oldest working clock in the world is in Salisbury Cathedral (UK). It was made in 1386 and still has no dial.
The journey of clocks through ages
A Renaissance revolution: The development of smaller, more portable clocks was made possible by the advent of the spring mechanism in the 15th century, which revolutionised the field of clockmaking. The coiled spring was created around 1450. The first portable watches were created in 1510, but only rich people had them in their houses as they were quite expensive. From 15th-16th century the European clockmaking segment experienced a boom. The Renaissance nobility made several clock styles, such as mantel clocks, tabletop clocks, and wall clocks very fashionable.
The pendulum clock: Pendulum clocks were a significant advancement in clockmaking throughout the 17th century. The Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens created the first pendulum clock in 1657 after formulating the mathematical relationship between pendulum length and time, which was inspired by Galileo's work. As a result, timekeeping accuracy was raised to within 15 seconds every day.
Pocket watch: The spiral balance spring, often known as the hairspring, was created in 1675 by Huygens and English scientist Robert Hooke (1635-1703). This was a significant development since it made it possible to produce accurate pocket timepieces for the first time. Renowned English clockmaker Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) was among the first to successfully use this technology in pocket watches.
Wrist watches: The wristwatch was first introduced at the turn of the 20th century. Women were the only ones to wear these when they came as bracelets while men continued to use pocket watches well into the 20th century. The quartz watch was introduced in the 1950s, soon after the invention of electric timepieces.
Clock facts
With clocks having evolved from being sundials to digital fashion accessories, there are some more interesting facts about clocks for you to crunch on.
- There is a clock so precise that it won’t gain or lose a second in 20 million years. This is the NIST-F1 Cesium Fountain Clock and it is an atomic clock. It was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Colorado, and because it is so accurate, it is used to keep internet time.
- Big Ben in London, UK, is the biggest bell that strikes the clock time. The world-famous tower is called the Elizabeth Tower (or Clock Tower, prior to 2012).
- Early in the 18th century, the word "o'clock" began to be used. It is a shortened form of the term "of the clock," which referred to the time on a clock face.