The History of Clocks
The history of clocks is very long, and there have been many
different types of clocks over the centuries. Not all historians
agree on the history of the clock. The word clock was first
used in the 14th century (about 700 years ago). It comes from
the word for bell in Latin ("clocca").
At best, historians know that 5000
- 6000 years ago, great civilisations in the Middle East and
North Africa started to examine forms of clock-making instead
of working with only the monthly and annual calendar. Little
is known on exactly how these forms worked or indeed the actual
deconstruction of the time, but it has been suggested that the
intention was to maximise time available to achieve more as the
size of the population grew. Perhaps such future periods of time
were intented to benefit the community by allotting specific
lengths of time to tasks. Was this the beginning of the working
week?
Using the Sun
The first way that
people could tell the time was by looking at the sun as it crossed
the sky. When the sun was directly overhead in the sky, it was
the middle of the day, or noon. When the sun was close to the
horizon, it was either early morning (sunrise) or early evening
(sunset). Telling the time was not very accurate.
Sundial Clocks
With the disappearance of any ancient civilisation, such as
the Sumerian culture, knowledge is also lost. Whilst we can
but hypothesise on the reasons of why the equivalent to the
modern wristwatch was never completed, we know that the ancient
Egyptians were next to layout a system of dividing the day
into parts, similar to hours.
'Obelisks' (tall four-sided tapered monuments) were carefully
constructed and even purposefully geographically located we believe
around 3500 BC. A shadow was cast as the Sun moved across the
sky by the obelisk, which it appears was then marked out in sections,
allowing people to clearly see the two halves of the day. Some
of the sections have also been found to indicate the 'year's
longest and shortest days', which it is thought were developments
added later to allow identification of other important time subdivisions.
Another ancient Egyptian 'shadow clock' or 'sundial' has been
discovered to have been in use around 1500 BC, which allowed
the measuring of the passage of 'hours'. The sections were divided
into ten parts, with two 'twilight hours' indicated, occurring
in the morning and the evening. For it to work successfully then
at midday or noon, the device had to be turned 180 degrees to
measure the afternoon hours.
The Egyptians also used the 'Merkhet', the oldest known astronomical
tool, which is believed to have been developed around 600 BC.
Two merkhets were used to establish a north-south line which
was achieved by lining them up with the 'Pole Star'. This enabled
the measurement of night-time hours, when certain stars crossed
the marked meridian. By 30 BC, 'Vitruvius' describes thirteen
different sundial styles being used across Greece, Asia Minor,
and Italy, inherently demonstrating how the development must
have grown to be more complex.
Water Clocks
Around 1400 B.C. (about
3,400 years ago), water clocks were invented in Egypt. The name
for a water clock is clepsydra (pronounced KLEP-suh-druh).
A
water clock was made of two containers of water, one higher than
the other. Water traveled from the higher container to the lower
container through a tube connecting the containers. The containers
had marks showing the water level, and the marks told the time.
Look at the picture right. Water drips from the higher container
to the lower container. As the water level rises in the lower
container, it raises the float on the surface of the water. The
float is connected to a stick with notches, and as the stick
rises, the notches turn a gear, which moves the hand that points
to the time.
'Water clocks' were among the earliest
time keeping devices that didn't use the observation of the celestial
bodies to calculate the passage of time. The ancient Greeks,
it is believed, began using water clocks around 325 BC. Most
of these clocks were used to determine the hours of the night,
but may have also been used during daylight. An inherent problem
with the water clock was that they were not totally accurate,
as the system of measurement was based on the flow of water either
into, or out of, a container which had markers around the sides.
Another very similar form was that of a bowl that sank during
a period as it was filled of water from a regulated flow. It
is known that water clocks were common across the Middle East,
and that these were still being used in North Africa during the
early part of the twentieth-century.
In the Far East, mechanised 'astronomical' and 'astrological'
clock-making is known to have developed between 200-1300 AD.
In 1088 AD, 'Su Sung' and his colleagues designed and constructed
a highly complex mechanism that incorporated a water-driven escapement,
invented about 725 AD. It was over seven metres in height and
had all manor of mechanisms running simultaneously. During each
hour an observer could view the movement of a power-driven armillary
sphere, constructed of bronze rings, an automatically rotating
celestial globe, together with five doors that allowed an enticing
glimpse of seeing individual statues, all of which rang bells,
banged gongs or held inscribed tablets showing the hour or a
special time of the day. The appearance and actions would have
appeared similar to the automaton we know so well today.
Dividing the Year into Months and
Days
The Greeks divided the year into twelve parts that are called
months. They divided each month into thirty parts that are called
days. Their year had a total of 360 days, or 12 times 30 (12
x 30 = 360). Since the Earth goes around the Sun in one year
and follows an almost circular path, the Greeks decided to divide
the circle into 360 degrees.
Dividing the Day into Hours, Minutes,
and Seconds
The Egyptians and Babylonians decided to divide the
day from sunrise to sunset into twelve parts that are called
hours. They also divided the night, the time from sunset to sunrise,
into twelve hours. But the day and the night are not the same
length, and the length of the day and night also changes through
the year. This system of measuring the time was not very accurate
because the length of an hour changed depending on the time of
year. This meant that water clocks had to be adjusted every day.
Somebody finally figured out that by dividing the whole day
into 24 hours of equal length (12 hours of the day plus 12 hours
of the night), the time could be measured much more accurately.
Why was the day and night divided into 12 parts? Twelve is about
the number of moon cycles in a year, so it is a special number
in many cultures.
The hour is divided into 60 minutes, and each minute is divided
into 60 seconds. The idea of dividing the hour and minute into
60 parts comes from the Sumerian sexagesimal system, which is
based on the number 60. This system was developed about 4,000
years ago.
Mechanical Clocks
In 1656, 'Christian
Huygens' (Dutch scientist), made the first 'Pendulum clock',
with a mechanism using a 'natural' period of oscillation. 'Galileo
Galilei' is credited, in most historical books, for inventing
the pendulum as early as 1582, but his design was not built before
his death. Huygens' clock ,when built, had an error of 'less
than only one minute a day'. This was a massive leap in the development
of maintaining accuracy, as this had previously never been achieved.
Later refinements to the pendulum clock reduced this margin of
error to 'less than 10 seconds a day'.
Huygens, in 1657, developed what is known today as the 'balance
wheel and spring assembly', which is still found in some of today's
wrist watches. This allowed watches of the seventeenth-century
to keep accuracy of time to approximately ten minutes a day.
Meanwhile, in London, England (UK) in 1671, 'William Clement'
began building clocks with an 'anchor' or 'recoil' escapement,
which interfered even less with the perpetual motion of the pendulum
system of clock.
'George Graham', in 1721, invented a design with the degree
of accuracy to 'one second a day' by compensating for changes
in the pendulum's length caused by temperature variations. The
mechanical clock continued to develop until they achieved an
accuracy of 'a hundredth-of-a-second a day', when the pendulum
clock became the accepted standard in most astronomical observatories.
Pendulum Clocks
Before pendulum clocks were invented, Peter Henlein of Germany
invented a spring-powered clock around 1510. It was not very
precise. The first clock with a minute hand was invented by Jost
Burgi in 1577. It also had problems. The first practical clock
was driven by a pendulum. It was developed by Christian Huygens
around 1656. By 1600, the pendulum clock also had a minute hand.
The pendulum swings left and right, and as it swings, it turns
a wheel with teeth (see the picture to the right). The turning
wheel turns the hour and minute hands on the clock. On the first
pendulum clocks, the pendulum used to swing a lot (about 50 degrees).
As pendulum clocks were improved, the pendulum swung a lot less
(about 10 to 15 degrees). One problem with pendulum clocks is
that they stopped running after a while and had to be restarted.
The first pendulum clock with external batteries was developed
around 1840. By 1906, the batteries were inside the clock.
As you already learned, a clock only shows 12 hours at a time,
and the hour hand must go around the clock twice to measure 24
hours, or a complete day. To tell the first 12 hours of the day
(from midnight to noon) apart from the second 12 hours of the
day (from noon to midnight), we use these terms:
A.M.--Ante meridiem, from
the Latin for "before noon"
P.M.-- Post meridiem, from the Latin for "after noon"
Quartz Crystal Clocks
Quartz is a type of crystal that looks like glass. When you
apply voltage, or electricity, and pressure, the quartz crystal
vibrates or oscillates at a very constant frequency or rate.
The vibration moves the clock's hands very precisely. Quartz
crystal clocks were invented in 1920.
Europe
During the period of 500-1500
AD, the development of time measuring devices in Europe is known
not to have improved in any great way technologically, relying
mainly on the use of the sundial and principles of measurement
used in ancient Egypt.
These dials were placed above doorways and indicated the midday
and four 'tides' or times of the sunlit day. In the tenth-century,
one English (UK) model showed the marking of the tides compensated
for including seasonal changes caused by the Sun's altitude.
In Italy, during the early-to-mid fourteenth-century, large
mechanical clocks housed in towers began to appear in several
of the large cities. These clocks appear to have been plagued
by the same problem as that of the 'water clock', that of regulating
the mechanisms and maintaining the accurate time. This appears
to have been due to the oscillation period of the escapement
depending on a driving force which had sufficient friction in
the drive mechanism.
A technological advance came with the invention of the 'Spring-powered'
clock, around 1500-1510, credited to 'Peter Henlein' of Nuremberg
(Germany). These were instantly popular although the spring-powered
clock did have one problem, that of slowing down when the mainspring
unwound. In the sixteenth-century, and even through until the
nineteenth-century, these clocks were mainly the reserve of the
wealthy, when the reduced size meant it could now be put on a
mantle shelf or table. The development of the spring-powered
clock was the precursor to accurate time keeping
Time Zones
Because the Earth turns,
it is daytime in part of the world when it is nighttime on the
other side of the world. In 1884, delegates from 25 countries
met and agreed to divide the world into time zones. If you draw
a line around the middle of the Earth, it is a circle (equator).
The delegates divided the 360 degrees of the circle into 24 zones,
each 15 degrees (24 x 15 = 360). They decided to start counting
from Greenwich, England, which is 0 degrees
longitude. To see a larger picture of the standard time zones
of the world, click the picture below.

Collecting Timepieces
Clocks that are collectible frequently have features that make
them difficult and expensive to repair, such as a Brocot escapement.
French clocks and Atmos clocks are collectible, but they are
much more difficult to repair than other clocks and more difficult
to keep running. Carriage clocks and Vienna Regulator wall clocks
can be very difficult to repair and need repairs more frequently
than other clocks. The same is true for grandfather clocks with
tubular bells, such as Herschede and Elliott clocks. Mechanical
anniversary clocks look simple but many are difficult to keep
running.
Most older clocks that are bought used will need repairs
because the seller is unlikely to have restored the mechanism,
but rather just getting it to run well enough to be able to sell
it. I can safely recommend three clocks, the Seth Thomas Ogee
30-hour clock, the Seth Thomas #89 clocks (and similar American
clocks with "H" plates), and grandfather clocks with
the Hermle 451 series (dated between about 1970 and 1985) mechanisms,
though these clocks are abundant and therefore not desired by
collectors.
These clocks are reliable and very durable. They
are simple and therefore easy to repair. They are affordable
to buy. There are many other good and more collectible clocks,
but more knowledge and experience is required before buying one.
Another problem to consider is that the cost of repair will frequently
exceed half the market value of the clock, particularly with
wall clocks and mantle clocks (such as the three clocks I recommended
above), unless you are repairing them yourself.
Before buying a spring-driven clock, try to wind it to see
if it has a broken mainspring. If the key turns and you hear
the mainspring slip, the spring has broken at the outer end and
there would probably be little or no damage to the gears. If
the mainspring is fully wound, there is probably no damage either
(exceptions sometimes include carriage clocks and French clocks).
If the winding key turns easily and there is no load, the mainspring
has broken near the inner end and there would probably be considerable
damage to the gears. Be sure that parts are not missing, such
as the pendulum or weights (if the clock was designed to have
them).
Consider the age of the clock before buying. The older the
clock, the more desirable and collectible it is. However, clocks
made before about 1870 are usually more difficult to repair because
the industry lacked good technology in the machines that were
used to manufacture clock parts. Parts were finished and fitted
by hand. The parts fit together less accurately than parts in
newer clocks, which can create problems during repair. Some of
the finest timepieces I have seen, in terms of quality and technology,
were made between 1910 and 1950. Newer clocks have very accurately
made parts, but manufacturers have increasingly been finding
ways to lower production costs, frequently at the expense of
quality, which is why I do not like most clocks made after 1985.
What To Look For
Right: A rare and historically important Queen Anne sidereal
and mean time ebonised longcase regulator of month duration,
by Thomas Tompion & Edward Banger, No. 483, circa 1708/9
Sold for £621,250
July 2003
London, King Street
With clocks, what
you see is most definitely not all you get. It is important
to look at the entire clock, not just the beautiful case but
also the mechanical heart within.
Here's some quick advice:
Avoid so-called marriages,
i.e., clocks whose authentic movement was removed and replaced
with another not its own
Always try to buy
the best in the price range you can afford (this also makes
it easier to trade up at some time for a more expensive and
more desirable piece)
If you are a beginner,
decide early on about the form of the collection (e.g., you
may want to specialize in carriage clocks, novelty clocks,
18th century English clocks, etc.)
Prices
Right: A Victorian walnut and brass striking skeleton clock with
balance wheel escapement by James Condliff, circa 1850
Sold for £71,700
July 2003
London, King Street
Compared to other collecting
fields, prices for antique clocks are relatively modest. A
clock by a top maker will generally cost much less than a painting
by a top artist of the same period. An 18th century English
bracket clock by a good maker can be purchased at auction for
less than £10,000 (approximately
$15,000).
A collector can start with
a French 19th century French decorative mantel clock or a French
striking carriage clock from the latter part of the 19th century
with a repeat facility or an alarm, which will cost around £600
(or $900).
As is the case with all antiques,
rarity and condition are very important and affect price. Christie's
London sold a Queen Anne ebony miniature table clock with pull
quarter repeat for more than £350,000 or more than $500,000
(December 2000).
Introduction to clocks
Clocks have been appreciated and treasured since at least the
17th century and, despite their popularity, are available at
a wide range of prices. Here we look at what you need to know
if you're thinking of beginning a collection.
The value of a clock depends on
its maker, the movement, the case and its condition. Plain carriage
clocks are available from about £200, and a late 19th-century
long-case from around £800.
Unlike many other types of antiques,
clocks are 'working' antiques. You can appreciate them for their
visual appeal and technical mastery - and they also serve as
timekeepers.
If you're a novice collector thinking
of investing in a clock, it's probably best to buy one in working
order. Most clocks can be repaired, but restoring a 'bargain'
can be a laborious and expensive business, and unless the problem
is very straightforward it's often cheaper in the long run to
buy a clock that's been properly overhauled and restored to working
order by a skilled clockmaker.
Most clocks are relatively easy
to date and identify because they were signed by their maker
on the dial and movement, and records of most makers have survived.
A clock's visual appeal, however, lies largely in its case, which
usually reflects the style of furniture of the period.
There are three key elements which
you should access before buying a clock: the mechanism, or movement;
the dial; and the case.
Movements
The movement consists of a system of brass and steel wheels and
gears, known as the train. It's usually housed
between
two brass plates.
The escapement. This
is the part of the movement that controls the speed at which
a clock runs.
The verge or balance wheel
escapement. The balance wheel escapement was used
on lantern clocks until c.1760. The oscillating balance wheel
releases the two pallets of 'flags' on the vertical bar, which
engage the toothed wheel. The verge escapement is similar but
has a short pendulum.
The anchor escapement. This was
first used in long-cases from c.1670, and became standard for
long-cases and brackets. The anchor engages with the teeth of
the escape wheel. Clocks with an anchor may have a long or short
pendulum.
Pendulums
Weight-driven and spring-driven clocks usually have a pendulum
to control the clock's speed. The pendulum is a brass or steel
rod with a metal disc, or bob, at the bottom. Adjusting the
position of the bob on the rod alters the timekeeping of the
clock.

Dials
A. Chapter ring
B. Subsidiary dial
C. Calendar aperture
D. Applied corner spandrels
E. Winding holes
F. Hour hand
G. Minute hand
H. Dial arch
I. Engraved boss
J. 'Matted' centre
The dial is the face of the clock
and is attached to the movement by a number of brass 'feet'.
A dial has an important bearing on price. Clocks with replaced
dials are much less desirable. There are four main types of dial:
Brass dials. These are the earliest
type of dial, used on lantern, bracket and long-case clocks.
These have the hours engraved onto a detachable chapter ring.
Painted metal
dials. These are
found on most clocks after c.1800. They became increasingly elaborate
in the 19th century.
Painted wooden
dials. These are
found on English dial clocks, tavern clocks and continental clocks.
If authentic, the wood will show some signs of cracking caused
by changes in temperature.
Enamelled
metal dials. These are
common on carriage clocks and other types of French clock. They're
made from enamel fired on top of thin copper.
Hands. Early clocks
only have one hand (for hours), but from c.1660 most have both
a minute and an hour hand. Second hands are usually shown on
a subsidiary dial. Hands are usually made from blued steel, although
gilded brass is found from c.1790. Until c.1740 the hour hand
was elaborate, while the minute hand was longer and simpler.
Replacement hands are acceptable if they're in the right style.
Cases. The case
houses the dial and the movement. Knowledge of materials and
styles is useful in dating a clock and in assessing its value.
Wooden cases. These were introduced
in the 17th century. Many cases are covered with thin veneers
of wood. The most common woods are ebony, walnut, mahogany and
rosewood. Wooden cases may be decorated with marquetry (patterns
made from different woods), lacquer, applied metal mounts, brass
inlay (on rosewood cases), or a combination of tortoiseshell
and brass (boulle work).
Metal cases. Brass is the most
common metal: all carriage clocks are brass-cased. Old brass
is uneven and shows marks left by the casting process, while
modern rolled brass is of uniform thickness. Brass cases may
be elaborately engraved or decorated with enamel colours.
Signatures. Most clocks are signed,
although a signature isn't always a guarantee that the clock
was made by the maker whose signature it bears. 19th century
clocks may be signed by the retailer rather than the maker.
Genuine signatures are usually
found in the following places: until 1690, along the bottom of
the dial plate; from 1690 to 1720, on the chapter ring; after
1720, on the chapter ring, on the boss in the arch or on an applied
plaque.
Bracket clocks
The term bracket clock is used nowadays to describe all clocks
with short pendulums and spring-driven mechanisms. They range
from simple, solid designs to extremely ornate decorative ones.
Despite the name, not all of these clocks stood on wall brackets.
They were also placed on tables and mantelpieces, and they're
sometimes called mantel clocks or table clocks.
A brief history
Bracket clocks were made from about 1660. The earliest ones had
square brass dials, but by the beginning of the 18th century,
arched dials became more common.
The English bracket clocks you're
most likely to come across are those with mahogany veneered cases.
Large numbers were produced from the late 18th and early 19th
century, mainly in London, and you can still find clocks of this
type for about £3,000 to £6,000.
It's also easy to find French 19th-century
clocks, which were made in a wide variety of shapes. Many of
these incorporate such lavish decoration that you may need to
take a second look before you realise they're clocks at all.
Originally square, dials became arched in about 1720. Most longcases
have brass dials, like the main picture here, or painted ones.
Brass dials are usually 30cm (12in) in diameter and have an applied
chapter ring (the band showing the numbers) and applied spandrels
(corners).
Walnut longcases
Some of the earliest longcase clocks were covered with walnut
veneers over an oak carcass. Cross-banded veneers (a strip
laid at right angles to the main veneer) add to the value.
One like this would fetch more than £20,000.

Marquetry longcases
Floral marquetry was a popular
way of decorating longcases between 1680 and 1710. Earlier
examples have small inset panels of marquetry decoration. On
later ones, such as this, the design covers the entire surface.
This clock would cost upwards of £12,000.
Novelty and skeleton clocks
Novelty clocks, which tell the time in a particularly unusual
or intriguing way, are among the most fascinating of all clocks.
Most of those seen today date from the 19th century when they
were produced by French, Swiss and English makers.
Mystery clocks
This is one of the most common types of novelty clock. With the
clock pictured right, the movement, concealed in the base,
rotates the figure slightly from left to right, and this
motion makes the pendulum swing, even though the figure holding
it seems unconnected to the mechanism. A clock like this
would cost about £2,500.
Automaton clocks
Automaton clocks
are among the most varied and valuable of novelty clocks. This
one is relatively simple - it contains a bird which every hour
sings a melodic nightingale song, while flapping its wings, turning
its head, and opening its beak. Expect to pay between £4,000 and £6,000
for something like this.
Value
The value of a novelty clock will depend on its rarity, appearance
and the complexity of its moving features, rather than the
clock mechanism. Condition is particularly important, as broken
novelty clocks can be extremely expensive to repair.
Skeleton clocks
Skeleton clocks are ones that reveal as much of the working mechanism
as possible. English-made ones are usually far more complex
and elaborate than those made in France.
This typically elaborate clock (with its
protective glass dome removed) dates from about 1870. It was
made by J Smith & Sons
and is worth £6,000 to £12,000.

Clock care
-
carefully dust and wax wooden
cases
-
never attempt to clean brass
or silvered dials
-
ask an expert to oil and
clean the clock's mechanism
-
hold clocks upright if you're
moving them from one room to another
-
secure or remove the pendulum
before a long journey
The protective measures for antique
clocks are no more stringent than for other antique furniture.
Avoid:
-
Excessive dryness as it causes wood veneers
to crack and lift
-
Direct sunlight as it causes fading of the
color of wooden cases
-
Humidity as it can damage wood and metal
-
Damp floors, which can cause the base of
a longcase clock to rot
Do:
- Make sure the movement is safe when moving
a clock
- Put the clock on a level surface, so
that the pendulum can swing evenly and smoothly (place
a flat board between a floor-standing clock and a carpeted
floor)
- Have the clock serviced at regular intervals.
- Secure a longcase clock to the wall to
reduce any movement that might affect the beat of the mechanism
and to reduce the risk of toppling
Restoration
The originality of the clock should be preserved as much as possible. Therefore,
restorations should be left to professional restorers with a good track
record because a bad restoration can reduce the value of a clock. Some
collectors use different restorers for the case and the movement of their
clocks, which is an option worth considering
More Information
Meet with other clock collectors through organizations such as
the:
Antiquarian Horological Society
New House, High Street, Ticehurst
Sussex TN5 7AL, England
Tel: +44 (0)1580 200155
Fax: +44 (0)1580 201323
ahsoc.demon.co.uk
Association Française
des Amateurs d'Horlogerie Ancienne (AFAHA)
Boîte Postale 33
25012 Besançon cedex, France
Tel: +33 (0)3 81 82 26 74
Fax: +33 (0)3 81 83 57 24
afaha.com
British Horological Institute
Upton Hall, Upton, Newark
Notts. NG23 5TE, England
Tel: +44 (0)1636 813795
Fax: +44 (0)1636 812258
bhi.co.uk
National Association of Watch & Clock
Collectors (NAWCC)
514 Poplar Street
Columbia, PA 17512-2130, USA
Tel: +1 717 684 8261
Fax: +1 717 684 0878
nawcc.org
• Visit the clock collection
of various museums:
Austria: Uhrenmuseum der Stadt Wien, Vienna
England: The British Museum, London
France: Musée d'Horlogerie, Morteau
Germany: Deutsches Uhrenmuseum, Furtwang
Holland: Museum of Dutch Clocks, Zaandam
Switzerland: Musée d'Horlogerie, Neuchâtel
United States: Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
• Christie's specialists are
always available to help you form a clocks collection
Collector's Dictionary of Clocks
and Watches by Eric Bruton
A Connoisseur's Guide to
Antique Clocks & Watches by Ronald
Pearsall
Encyclopedia of Antique American
Clocks by Robert W. Swedberg & Harriett
Swedberg
Watch and Clockmakers' Handbook, Dictionary and Guide by F.J.
Britten
Collectable Clocks 1840-1940 by Alan and Rita Shenton
British Longcase Clocks by D. Roberts
Carriage Clocks by Charles Allix
The Collectors Dictionary of Clocks by Alan Lloy
Horology.com
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