Mechanical watch definition. When were the first watches invented?

Man has always wanted to measure time. This is what watches were made for. The first hours were sunny. They were invented before our era. Researchers are still arguing who invented the first watch. The official version says that they were created in ancient China by a man named Chiu-Pi.

Who invented the first watch

The sundial competed with the hourglass, which was also invented in Asia. The hourglass was quite inaccurate. The accuracy of these clocks depended on the materials and dimensions of the flask, the sand used.

Later, in ancient Greece, the inventor Csebius created a water clock. They were a vessel with a scale into which drops fell from an external reservoir. Water clocks were popular until the 18th century.

At the beginning of the 6th century, the first analogue of a mechanical watch was created in Germany. The invention is attributed to the monk Herbert. He designed a tower clock for the city of Magdeburg. The mechanism of this clock worked due to the energy of the lowered load. However, the mechanic was only used for combat. The clock itself was water.

Who invented the clock we use today

The mechanical clocks familiar to us are created thanks to Huygens in the 17th century, who used the pendulum as an error regulator. T. Tompion continued the work by creating a cylinder with gear rings inside, which are the analogue of modern watches.

For three centuries, mechanical devices remained the most complex technical device. Many inventors have contributed to the creation of a mechanism that is now available to almost everyone.

Once upon a time, a calendar was enough for people to keep track of time. But crafts appeared, and consequently, there was a need for an invention that would measure the duration of time intervals less than one day. This invention was the watch. Today we will tell about their evolution.

When there were no clocks...

The history of watches has much deeper roots than is commonly believed today. Experts say that the first people who began to keep track of time were primitive people who somehow could determine when hunting or fishing would be most successful. Perhaps they were watching flowers. It is believed that their daily opening indicates a certain time of day. So, the dandelion opens around 4:00, and the moon flower - only after dark. But the main instruments by which a person could determine the time before the appearance of the clock were the sun, stars, water, fire and sand. Such "clocks" are usually called the simplest.

One of the first who began to use the simplest clocks were the ancient Egyptians.

In 3500 BC in Egypt, a semblance of a sundial appeared - obelisks - slender, four-sided structures tapering upwards. The shadow they cast allowed the Egyptians to divide the day into two 12-hour parts, so people could know exactly when it was noon. A little later, markings appeared on the obelisks, which made it possible to determine not only the time before and after noon, but also other intervals of the day.

Technology gradually developed, and in 1500 BC. more convenient sundials were invented. They divided the day into 10 parts, as well as into two "twilight" periods of time. The inconvenience of such an invention was that it had to be rearranged daily at noon from east to west.

The first sundial changed more and more every year, and already in the 1st century. BC. The famous Roman architect and mechanic Marcus Vitruvius Pollio described 13 different types of sundials that were used throughout Egypt, Greece, Asia Minor, Italy, Rome and India. By the way, today in Piazza del Popolo, located in Rome, everyone can admire the Egyptian obelisk, which has survived to this day, having a height of 36 m.

In addition to the sundial, there were also water, sand and fire clocks. The water clock was a cylindrical vessel from which water flowed drop by drop. It was believed that the less water remained, the more time had passed. Such clocks were used in Egypt, Babylon and Rome. In Asian countries, Roman and Arabic numerals were applied to the container, which meant day and night, respectively. To find out the time, this hemispherical vessel was placed in the pool, water got into it through a small hole. An increase in the liquid level raised the float, due to which the time indicator began to move.

Everyone is also familiar with the hourglass, with the help of which time was determined even before our era. In the Middle Ages, their development was improved, they became more accurate due to the use of high-quality sand in them - a fine powder of black marble, as well as sand from lead and zinc dust.

Once upon a time, time was also determined with the help of fire. Fire clocks were of three types: candle, wick and lamp. In China, a special variety was used, it consisted of a base made of combustible material (in the form of a spiral or stick) and metal balls attached to it. When some part of the base burned, the balls fell, thus beating the time.

It should be noted that candle clocks were popular in Europe, they made it possible to determine the time by the amount of burnt wax. By the way, this variety was especially common in monasteries and churches.

It is necessary to mention such a method of determining the time as orientation by the stars. In ancient Egypt, there were star charts, according to which stargazers, using a transit instrument, navigated at night.

The advent of mechanical watches

With the development of production and social relations, the need for a more accurate measurement of time periods has steadily increased. The best minds worked on the creation of mechanical watches, in the Middle Ages the world saw their first sample.

The first mechanical escapement clock was made in China in 725 AD. masters Yi Xing and Liang Lingzan. Later, the secret of the device of their invention came to the Arabs, and then to everyone else.

It is worth noting that mechanical watches have absorbed much from the simplest ones. The dial, gear train and battle have been preserved. It was only necessary to replace the driving force - a jet of water - with a heavy weight, which is much easier to handle, as well as add a descender and a speed controller.

On this basis, a tower clock was created, which was installed in 1354 in the French city of Strasbourg. They had only one hand - the hour hand, with the help of which people could determine the parts of the day, the holidays of the church calendar, for example, Easter and the days depending on it. At noon, the figures of the three Magi bowed before the figure of the Virgin Mary, and the gilded rooster crowed and beat its wings. This watch was equipped with a special mechanism that set in motion small cymbals - stringed percussion musical instruments - which beat the time. To date, only a rooster has remained from the Strasbourg clock.

The era of quartz watches is coming

As you remember, the first mechanical watch had only one hand - the hour hand. Minute appeared much later, in 1680, and in the XVIII century. they began to install a second, at first it was lateral, and then central. By this time, the clock not only acquired the look familiar to us, but also improved internally. Ruby and sapphire stones were used as new supports for the balancer and gears. This reduced friction, improved accuracy and increased power reserve. Interesting complications also appeared: a perpetual calendar, automatic winding and a power reserve indicator.

Further improvement of instruments for measuring time proceeded like an avalanche.

The development of electronics and radio engineering has contributed to the emergence of quartz watches, which have a mechanism consisting of an electronic unit and the so-called. stepper motor. This motor, receiving a signal from the electronic unit, moves the arrows. Instead of a dial, quartz watches can use a digital display.

Also, quartz watches have many interesting additions, such as a stopwatch, moon phase indicator, calendar, alarm clock and much more. Unlike classic mechanical quartz models, they show time more accurately. Their error is ±15 seconds / month, so it is enough to correct their readings twice a year.

Time in electronic clock

Today, most people use electronic watches that have truly eclipsed all others. Wherever we see them: on the dashboard of a car, and in a mobile phone, and in a microwave, and on a TV ... Such watches attract users with their compactness and functionality. By type of display, they are liquid crystal and LED, they can be powered both from a 220V network and from batteries.

Well, the history of watches goes back many centuries. If you make a rating of the "greatest inventions of mankind", then the watch will certainly take second place in it after the wheel. After all, today you really can’t do without them.

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The first science of time is astronomy. The results of observations in ancient observatories were used for agriculture and religious rites. However, with the development of crafts, it became necessary to measure short periods of time. Thus, mankind came to the invention of the clock. The process was long, filled with the hard work of the best minds.

The history of watches goes back many centuries; this is the oldest invention of mankind. From a stick stuck in the ground to an ultra-precise chronometer - a journey of hundreds of generations. If we make a rating of the achievements of human civilization, then in the nomination "great inventions" the clock will be in second place after the wheel.

There was a time when a calendar was enough for people. But crafts appeared, there was a need to fix the duration of technological processes. It took hours, the purpose of which is to measure time intervals shorter than a day. For this, man has used various physical processes for centuries. The constructions realizing them were also corresponding.

The history of watches is divided into two major periods. The first is several millennia long, the second is less than one.

1. The history of the clock, called the simplest. This category includes solar, water, fire and sand appliances. The period ends with the study of the mechanical clocks of the pendulum period. These were medieval chimes.

2. A new history of watches, starting with the invention of the pendulum and balance, which marked the beginning of the development of classical oscillatory chronometry. This period is so far

Sundial

The most ancient ones that have come down to us. Therefore, it is the history of the sundial that opens the parade of great inventions in the field of chronometry. Despite their apparent simplicity, they were distinguished by a wide variety of designs.

It is based on the apparent movement of the Sun throughout the day. The countdown is based on the shadow cast by the axis. Their use is possible only on a sunny day. Ancient Egypt had favorable climatic conditions for this. The greatest distribution on the banks of the Nile received a sundial, which had the form of obelisks. They were installed at the entrance to the temples. A gnomon in the form of a vertical obelisk and a scale marked on the ground - this is what the ancient sundial looked like. The photo below shows one of them. One of the Egyptian obelisks transported to Europe has survived to this day. A gnomon 34 meters high currently stands in one of the squares in Rome.

Conventional sundial had a significant drawback. They knew about him, but put up with him for a long time. In different seasons, that is, in summer and winter, the duration of the hour was not the same. But in the period when the agrarian system and handicraft relations dominated, there was no need for an accurate measurement of time. Therefore, the sundial successfully existed until the late Middle Ages.

The gnomon was replaced by more progressive designs. Improved sundials, in which this shortcoming was eliminated, had curved scales. In addition to this improvement, various versions were used. So, in Europe, wall and window sundials were common.

Further improvement took place in 1431. It consisted in orienting the shadow arrow parallel to the earth's axis. Such an arrow was called a semiaxis. Now the shadow, rotating around the half-axis, moved uniformly, turning 15° per hour. Such a design made it possible to produce a sundial that was accurate enough for its time. The photo shows one of these devices, preserved in China.

For proper installation, they began to supply the structure with a compass. It became possible to use the clock everywhere. It was possible to make even portable models. Since 1445, the sundial began to be built in the form of a hollow hemisphere, equipped with an arrow, the shadow of which fell on the inner surface.

Looking for an alternative

Although the sundials were convenient and accurate, they had serious objective flaws. They were completely dependent on the weather, and their functioning was limited to the part of the day between sunrise and sunset. In search of an alternative, scientists sought to find other ways to measure time intervals. It was required that they not be associated with the observation of the movement of stars and planets.

The search led to the creation of artificial time standards. For example, it was the interval necessary for the flow or combustion of a certain amount of a substance.

The simplest watches created on this basis have come a long way in the development and improvement of designs, thereby paving the way for the creation of not only mechanical watches, but also automation devices.

Clepsydra

The name “clepsydra” has been attached to the water clock, so there is a misconception that they were first invented in Greece. In reality it was not so. The oldest, very primitive clepsydra was found in the temple of Amun in Phoebe and is kept in the museum of Cairo.

When creating a water clock, it is necessary to ensure a uniform decrease in the water level in the vessel when it flows through the bottom calibrated hole. This was achieved by giving the vessel the shape of a cone, tapering closer to the bottom. It was only in the Middle Ages that a regularity describing the rate of fluid outflow depending on its level and the shape of the container was obtained. Prior to this, the shape of the vessel for the water clock was selected empirically. For example, the Egyptian clepsydra, discussed above, gave a uniform decrease in level. Albeit with some error.

Since clepsydra did not depend on the time of day and weather, it met the requirements of continuous measurement of time to the maximum. In addition, the need for further improvement of the device, the addition of various functions, provided space for designers to fly their imaginations. Thus, clepsydras of Arab origin were works of art combined with high functionality. They were equipped with additional hydraulic and pneumatic mechanisms: an audible timer, a night lighting system.

Not many names of the creators of the water clock have been preserved in history. They were made not only in Europe, but also in China and India. We have received information about a Greek mechanic named Ctesibius of Alexandria, who lived 150 years before the new era. In clepsydra, Ctesibius used gears, the theoretical development of which was carried out by Aristotle.

fire watch

This group appeared at the beginning of the 13th century. The first firing clocks were thin candles up to 1 meter high with marks applied to them. Sometimes certain divisions were equipped with metal pins, which, falling on a metal stand when the wax burned around them, made a distinct sound. Such devices served as a prototype of the alarm clock.

With the advent of transparent glass, fire clocks are transformed into icon lamps. A scale was applied on the wall, according to which, as the oil burned out, the time was determined.

Such devices are most widely used in China. Along with the icon lamps, another type of fire clock was common in this country - wick clocks. We can say that it was a dead end branch.

Hourglass

When they were born is not exactly known. We can only say with certainty that they could not have appeared before the invention of glass.

Hourglass are two transparent glass flasks. Through the connecting neck, the contents are poured from the upper flask into the lower one. And in our time, you can still meet the hourglass. The photo depicts one of the models, stylized antique.

Medieval craftsmen in the manufacture of instruments decorated the hourglass with exquisite decor. They were used not only to measure periods of time, but also as interior decoration. In the houses of many nobles and dignitaries one could see luxurious hourglasses. The photo shows one of these models.

Hourglasses came to Europe quite late - at the end of the Middle Ages, but their distribution was rapid. Due to their simplicity, the ability to use at any time, they quickly became very popular.

One of the shortcomings of the hourglass is the rather short amount of time measured without turning it over. Cassettes made up of them did not take root. The distribution of such models was slowed down by their low accuracy, as well as wear during long-term operation. It happened in the following way. The calibrated hole in the diaphragm between the flasks was worn out, increasing in diameter, sand particles, on the contrary, were crushed, decreasing in size. The speed of the expiration increased, the time decreased.

Mechanical watch: the prerequisites for the appearance

The need for a more accurate measurement of periods of time with the development of production and social relations has steadily increased. The best minds have worked to solve this problem.

The invention of the mechanical watch is an epochal event that took place in the Middle Ages, because they are the most complex device created in those years. In turn, this served as an impetus for the further development of science and technology.

The invention of watches and their improvement required more advanced, precise and high-performance technological equipment, new methods of calculation and design. This was the beginning of a new era.

The creation of mechanical watches became possible with the invention of the spindle escapement. This device converted the translational movement of a weight hanging on a rope into an oscillatory movement back and forth of an hour wheel. Continuity is clearly seen here - after all, complex models of clepsydra already had a dial, a gear train, and a battle. It was only necessary to change the driving force: replace the jet of water with a heavy weight that was easier to handle, and add an escapement device and a speed controller.

On this basis, mechanisms for tower clocks were created. Spindle-operated chimes came into use around 1340 and became the pride of many cities and cathedrals.

The rise of classical oscillatory chronometry

The history of watches has preserved for posterity the names of scientists and inventors who made their creation possible. The theoretical basis was the discovery made by Galileo Galilei, who voiced the laws describing the oscillations of the pendulum. He is also the author of the idea of ​​mechanical pendulum clocks.

Galileo's idea was realized in 1658 by the talented Dutchman Christian Huygens. He is also the author of the invention of the balance regulator, which made it possible to create a pocket watch, and then a wrist watch. In 1674, Huygens developed an improved regulator by attaching a spiral spring in the form of a hair to the flywheel.

Another landmark invention belongs to a watchmaker from Nuremberg named Peter Henlein. He invented the mainspring, and in 1500 he created a pocket watch based on it.

In parallel, there were changes in appearance. At first, one arrow was enough. But as clocks became very accurate, they required a corresponding indication. In 1680, a minute hand was added, and the dial took on the form familiar to us. In the eighteenth century, they began to install a second hand. Initially lateral, and later it became central.

In the seventeenth century, the creation of watches was transferred to the category of art. Exquisitely decorated cases, enameled dials, which by that time were covered with glass - all this turned the mechanisms into a luxury item.

Work on the improvement and complication of instruments continued uninterrupted. Increased running accuracy. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, ruby ​​and sapphire stones began to be used as supports for the balance wheel and gears. This reduced friction, improved accuracy and increased power reserve. Interesting complications appeared - a perpetual calendar, automatic winding, a power reserve indicator.

The impetus for the development of pendulum clocks was the invention of the English watchmaker Clement. Around 1676 he developed the anchor escapement. This device was well suited to pendulum clocks, which had a small amplitude of oscillation.

Quartz watch

Further improvement of instruments for measuring time proceeded like an avalanche. The development of electronics and radio engineering paved the way for the emergence of quartz watches. Their work is based on the piezoelectric effect. It was discovered in 1880, but the quartz clock was not made until 1937. The newly created quartz models differed from classical mechanical ones in amazing accuracy. The era of electronic watches has begun. What is their feature?

Quartz watches have a mechanism consisting of an electronic unit and a so-called stepper motor. How it works? The engine, receiving a signal from the electronic unit, moves the arrows. Instead of the usual dial in a quartz watch, a digital display can be used. We call them electronic. In the West - quartz with digital indication. It doesn't change the essence.

In fact, a quartz watch is a mini computer. Additional functions are added very easily: stopwatch, moon phase indicator, calendar, alarm clock. At the same time, the price of watches, unlike mechanics, does not increase so much. This makes them more accessible.

Quartz watches are very accurate. Their error is ±15 seconds/month. It is enough to correct the instrument readings twice a year.

Wall clock

Digital indication and compactness are the distinguishing features of such mechanisms. widely used as integrated. They can be seen on the dashboard of a car, in a mobile phone, in a microwave and TV.

As an interior element, you can often find a more popular classic design, that is, with an arrow indication.

Electronic wall clock organically fit into the interior in the style of hi-tech, modern, techno. They attract primarily with their functionality.

According to the type of display, electronic watches are liquid crystal and LED. The latter are more functional, as they have a backlight.

According to the type of power source, electronic clocks (wall and desktop) are divided into mains, powered by 220V, and battery. Devices of the second type are more convenient, since they do not require an outlet nearby.

Cuckoo wall clock

German craftsmen began to make them from the beginning of the eighteenth century. Traditionally, cuckoo wall clocks were made from wood. Richly decorated with carvings, made in the form of a birdhouse, they were the decoration of rich mansions.

At one time, inexpensive models were popular in the USSR and in the post-Soviet space. For many years, the Mayak cuckoo wall clock was produced by a factory in the Russian city of Serdobsk. Weights in the form of fir cones, a house decorated with uncomplicated carvings, paper furs of a sound mechanism - this is how they were remembered by the representatives of the older generation.

Now the classic cuckoo wall clock is a rarity. This is due to the high price of quality models. If you do not take into account the quartz crafts of Asian craftsmen made of plastic, fabulous cuckoos cuckoo only in the homes of true connoisseurs of exotic watches. Precise, complex mechanism, leather bellows, exquisite carving on the body - all this requires a large amount of highly skilled manual labor. Only the most reputable manufacturers can produce such models.

alarm clock

These are the most common "walkers" in the interior.

The alarm clock is the first additional feature that was implemented in the watch. Patented in 1847 by the Frenchman Antoine Redier.

In a classic mechanical desktop alarm clock, the sound is produced by hitting metal plates with a hammer. Electronic models are more melodic.

By design, alarm clocks are divided into small-sized and large-sized, desktop and travel.

Table alarm clocks are made with separate motors for and signal. They run separately.

With the advent of quartz watches, the popularity of mechanical alarm clocks has fallen. There are several reasons for this. with a quartz movement have a number of advantages over classic mechanical devices: they are more accurate, do not require daily winding, they are easy to match to the design of the room. In addition, they are light, not so afraid of bumps and falls.

Wrist mechanical alarm clocks are commonly referred to as "signals". Few companies produce such models. So, collectors know a model called "presidential cricket"

"Cricket" (according to English cricket) - under this name, the Swiss company Vulcain produced watches with an alarm function. They are known for having been owned by American presidents: Harry Truman, Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson.

History of watches for children

Time is a complex philosophical category and at the same time a physical quantity that needs to be measured. Man lives in time. Already from kindergarten, the program of education and upbringing provides for the development of time orientation skills in children.

You can teach a child to use a clock as soon as he has mastered the account. Layouts will help with this. You can combine a cardboard clock with the daily routine by placing all this for greater clarity on a piece of drawing paper. You can organize classes with elements of the game, using puzzles with pictures for this.

History at the age of 6-7 years is studied in thematic classes. The material must be presented in such a way as to arouse interest in the topic. Children in an accessible form are introduced to the history of watches, their types in the past and present. Then the acquired knowledge is consolidated. To do this, they demonstrate the principle of operation of the simplest clocks - solar, water and fire. These activities awaken children's interest in research, develop creative imagination and curiosity. They cultivate respect for time.

At school, in grades 5-7, the history of the invention of watches is studied. It is based on the knowledge gained by the child in the lessons of astronomy, history, geography, physics. In this way, the acquired material is consolidated. Watches, their invention and improvement are considered as part of the history of material culture, the achievements of which are aimed at meeting the needs of society. The topic of the lesson can be formulated as follows: "Inventions that have changed the history of mankind."

In high school, it is advisable to continue the study of watches as an accessory in terms of fashion and interior aesthetics. It is important to introduce children to watch etiquette, to talk about the basic principles of selection. One of the classes can be devoted to time management.

The history of the invention of watches clearly shows the continuity of generations, its study is an effective means of shaping the worldview of a young person.

The most complex and interesting mechanism created in the Middle Ages was the mechanical clock. Who invented the mechanical watch? There are sources claiming that such watches first appeared in Western Europe. And yet, the first mechanical watch was invented in China and created by a monk, and now let's talk about everything in order.

In 723, the Buddhist monk and mathematician Yi Xing designed a clock mechanism, which he called "a spherical map of the sky from a bird's eye view", driven by water. Water was a source of energy, but the movement was regulated by mechanisms. These watches had a kind of escapement that delayed the rotation of the water wheel until each of its buckets was filled to the top in turn, and then allowed it to turn at a certain angle, and this is how the history of mechanical watches began.

Invention of the mechanical watch in Europe

It is difficult to say when mechanical watches were invented in Europe. In the XIII century. they, at any rate, they already existed. Dante, for example, mentions a chiming wheel clock. It is known that in 1288 a tower clock was installed in London's Westminster. They had one hand, which marked only the hours (minutes were not measured then). There was no pendulum in them, and the move was not accurate.

Tower wheel clocks were not only time meters, but often represented a true work of art, being the pride of cathedrals and cities. For example, the tower clock of the Strasbourg Cathedral (1354) showed the moon, the sun, parts of the day and hours, celebrated the holidays of the church calendar, Easter and related days. At noon, three wise men bowed before the figure of the Mother of God, and the rooster crowed and beat its wings. A special mechanism set in motion small cymbals that struck the time. Only the rooster has remained from the Strasbourg clock to the present day.

Mechanical clock in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, time was not accurately measured in practice. It was divided into approximate periods - morning, noon, evening - without clear boundaries between them. The French king Louis IX (1214-1270) measured the elapsed time at night by the length of a constantly shortening candle.

The only place where they tried to streamline the counting of time was the church. She divided the day not according to natural phenomena (morning, evening, etc.), but in accordance with the cycle of worship, which is repeated daily. The countdown began with matins (towards the end of the night), and with dawn the first hour was celebrated and then sequentially: the third hour (in the morning), the sixth (at noon), the ninth (afternoon) in the evening and the so-called “final hour” - the time when the daily worship. But the names of the services marked not only time intervals, but the beginning of certain stages of daily worship, which fell at different “physical” times in different seasons.

The church countdown was pushed back in the XIV century, when the tower clock began to be erected on city buildings with a fight. It is interesting that in 1355 the inhabitants of a French town were given permission to build a city bell tower so that its bells would not chime the church clock, but the time of commercial transactions and the work of cloth makers.

In the XIV century. people begin to diligently count the time. Striking mechanical clocks became widespread, and with them the idea of ​​dividing the day into 24 equal hours firmly entered the consciousness. Later, in the 15th century, a new concept was introduced - the minute.

In 1450, spring clocks were invented, and by the end of the 15th century. portable watches came into use, but still too large to be called pocket or manual. In Russia, tower clocks appeared in 1404 and in the 15th-16th centuries. spread throughout the country.

The history of watch creation is several thousand years old. Since ancient times, man has tried to measure time, first by day and night luminaries and stars, then with the help of primitive devices and, finally, using modern high-precision complex mechanisms, electronics and even nuclear physics.

The history of watch development is a continuous improvement in the accuracy of time measurement. It is authentically known that in ancient Egypt time was measured in days, dividing it into two periods of 12 hours. There is also evidence that the modern sexagesimal measurement model came from the Kingdom of Sumer around 2000 BC.

Sundial.

It is generally accepted that the history of clock creation begins with the invention of the sundial or the gnomon. With such watches it was possible to measure only daytime, since the principle of their operation was based on the dependence of the location and length of the shadow on the position of the sun.

Water clock.

The history of the creation of water clocks begins in ancient Persia and China around 2500 - 1600 BC. And from there, quite likely with trade caravans, water clocks were brought to Egypt and Greece.

Fire watch.

Fire clocks were used about 3000 years ago in China, during the time of the first emperor of this country named Fo-hi. Fire watches were common in Japan and Persia.

Hourglass.

The creation of the hourglass dates back to around the 3rd century BC during the time of the scientist Archimedes. Ancient Greece has long been considered the place of their invention, but some archaeological finds suggest that the first hourglasses were created by the inhabitants of the Middle East.

Mechanical watches.

The history of the creation of the first mechanical watch begins in 725 AD in China and is a significant event in the history of watch development. Although, even earlier, presumably in the 2nd century BC in Ancient Greece, a mechanism was created that allows tracking the positions of celestial bodies with great accuracy. This mechanism consisted of 30 gears placed in a wooden case, on the front and back sides of which there were dials with arrows. This ancient mechanical calendar can be defined as the prototype of the first mechanical clock.

Electric clock.

With the discovery of electricity, the history of the electric clock, invented in the middle of the 19th century, begins. The creation and further development of electric clocks put an end to the inconvenience of synchronizing time in different parts of the world.

In 1847, the world was presented with an electric clock developed by the Englishman A. Bain, which was based on the following principle: a pendulum swinging by means of an electromagnet periodically closed the contact, and an electromagnetic counter, which was connected by a system of gears to the clock hands, read and summed up the number of oscillations.

Atomic clock.

In 1955, the history of watch development took a sharp turn. Briton Louis Essen announced the creation of the first atomic clock on cesium-133. They had unparalleled precision. The error was one second per million years. The device began to be considered a cesium frequency standard. The standard of atomic clocks has become the world standard of time.

Digital Watch.

The beginning of the 70s of the 20th century is the starting point for the history of the creation and development of electronic watches that show time not with hands, but with the help of LEDs, which, although invented in the mid-20s, found practical application only decades later.