Interesting facts about watches: who invented them and what they are

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

In our time, watches have become an integral part of life. Thanks to this mechanism, we know what day of the week, when we go to work, what time our favorite movie starts, etc. The variety of hours is very large. They can decorate the wall of the room, desktop, become an elegant accessory on the hand. Large, small, wall-mounted, floor-standing, mechanical, electronic and more…

A bit of history

But we do not wonder about their history! Who invented the clock, at what time and in what country? Each person knows what they are, what shapes and sizes - and this is where knowledge basically ends. To fill this gap, let's look at some interesting facts about watches.

People determined the time by daylight before the first sundial appeared. The Egyptians invented them. The clock had the shape of a circle, in the center of which there was a rod, the shadow from which indicated the time. But such a device could only be used during daylight hours. The water clock was inventedimmediately after the solar all in the same Egypt. This helped to know the time already in the dark. This mechanism has become very popular in Germany. There it was improved later.

One of the interesting facts about the clock: the shadow in the sun moved from west to east. This has become the direction of the arrow in modern watches, that is, from left to right. Below we consider the varieties and features of devices for measuring time within a day.

Pendulum clock

The history of their appearance is very long. And it has many different versions. Today we cannot confidently lean towards one or another version of the development of events. It is impossible to say exactly who invented the watch, because with each innovation you can safely pass the championship branch to a new inventor.

So, Christian Huijenson became such an inventor. In the period from 1656 to 1600, he invented a pendulum device for measuring time.

Another interesting fact about watches: in commercials, they often show the same time. It's 10 hours and 10 minutes. What is the reason for this pattern? Everything is very simple from the point of view of psychology. If you look at the dial, the hands on the watch in this position will resemble a smile, which is good for potential buyers.

Wrist Accessory

In Germany, Peter Enlein invented the first portable watch that could be worn on the wrist. This mechanism was not very accurate. But in fairness, it must be said - it was a big leap in watch modification. An interesting fact about the accessory invented by Peter: Blaise Pascal was the first to wear his brainchild. With the help of a thread, he attached it to his wrist, which later became the impetus for the development of straps.

Quartz

Quartz refers to a type of crystal. Thanks to its characteristics, quartz watches are considered the most accurate. The need for their manufacture was the need of an engineer from Canada for a reliable device that would measure time. In 1927, in a laboratory, an engineer named Warren Marrison created the first quartz watch.

In our time, there is one interesting fact about watches: the most expensive device for measuring time costs 55 million dollars. The strap of this watch is studded with huge diamonds, and the dial fades against the background of such refinement.

Mechanical watch

The first such device was invented at the beginning of the 13th century. Who and when exactly developed it, history is unknown. Like an alarm clock, it would ring at the right time but not show it. In 1364, the Italian Giovanni Donoi added hands and a dial to the movement.

There are unusual and interesting facts about mechanical watches:

1. For a long time they were large, but for the reigning Mikhail Fedorovich, a watch was designed and made, which was placed in a ring. The first indoor clock mechanism with arrows was presented to Ivan IV by the Swedish King Gustav II.
2. A mechanical clock with a fight was at the court of Prince Vasily Dmitrievich. Invented such a mechanismmonk Lazar Serbin.
3. Catherine II received a gorgeous gift from Ivan Kulibin. This craftsman made a mechanical device for measuring time in the form of a duck egg. A small theater was built into it, where the birth of Christ was staged, and a hymn played at noon.

First alarm clock

In 250 BC, the Greeks created an interesting design of water clocks. The water rose to a certain level and affected the mechanical bird, which emitted a whistle. In 1787, Leai Hutchins invented a mechanical alarm clock, but he could only ring at 4 in the morning. However, already in 1876, Seth I. Thomas made an alarm clock that woke a person at the right time for him.

Swiss company Eterna in 1908 produced the first wristwatch in history, which had a built-in alarm clock. And already in 1914 they were sent to mass production.

The most unusual watches

Over time, many inventors began to experiment with the appearance of the device or supplement it with unusual elements.

There are these types of designs:

1. Green Monster Energy Clock.
2. Wooden.
3. Clock-card.
4. Lotto Clock.
5. Mirror.
6. Relativity clock and many others.

Short stories

To conclude, let's look at some interesting hourglass facts:

1. In an hourglass, the filler is unusual. It is angular, as it must pass evenlythrough a narrow hole in the container. This sand wears out the glass, and it expands the bridge, which subsequently makes the clock inaccurate.
2. The hourglass used by doctors and photographers is filled with lead or zinc dust.
3. The most famous watch brand is Omega Speedmaster. And she became famous thanks to NASA astronauts. This watch accompanied them during the flight to the Moon and during the docking experiment with Soyuz and Apollo.



4. This accessory on the arm used to be the privilege of women. Men wore such an element on a chain around their neck or in their pocket. But during the First World War, this was very inconvenient, and soldiers began to wear watches on their wrists.
5. In Brazil, in the city of Para, locals use "rain watch". They tell the time by the rainfall.
6. In the Czech Republic in the town of Trutnov, craftsmen built a clock that emits a deafening sound, warning people that local beer bars are closed. If residents disobey, they are fined. If the second bell is also ignored, they are banned from bars for a year.
7. More than 20 workers work on one copy of the watch.
8. Actor Bruce Willis wore an accessory on his wrist with the dial facing down when filming in many films.
9. Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology invented the atomic clock. They are considered the most accurate in the world. This mechanism of time measurement allows an error of one second per million years.
10. In big cities, landscape designers often decorate flower beds withclock that tells the time. Their mechanism is very simple and hidden underground. The dial and numbers are decorated with fresh flowers. This decoration is very impressive to citizens and foreign guests.



11. The first watch-clocks were invented in Germany. There was only one hand on the dial. In the 19th century, smarties added a second hour hand and installed a cuckoo. This is how our favorite cuckoo clock appeared. Initially, only we althy people could buy them. And such an accessory in the house was an element of luxury. But many historians are inclined to believe that the cuckoo clock was invented in 1629, which has become a controversial issue among scientists.
12. In the Middle Ages, the monks were guided in time by the number of prayers read. Over time, they began to calculate time by candles. The monks applied divisions and thus determined the time frame. And to the question: "What time is it?", they answered: "Two candles".

To this day, watches remain faithful companions in our lives.