Nowadays, watches have become an integral part of life. Thanks to this mechanism, we know what day of the week, when we should go to work, what time our favorite film starts, etc. The variety of watches is very large. They can decorate the wall of the room, the desktop, become an elegant accessory on the hand. Large, small, wall, floor, mechanical, electronic and many other options ...
A bit of history
But we do not wonder about their history! Who invented the watch, at what time and in which country? Everyone knows what they are, what shapes and sizes - and this is where the knowledge basically ends. To fill this gap, consider some interesting facts about watches.
People determined the time by the daylight before the first sundial appeared. They came up with the Egyptians. The clock had the shape of a circle, in the center of which was a rod, the shadow of which indicated time. But such a device could be used only in the daytime. Water clocks were invented immediately after the sun all in the same Egypt. This helped to know the time already in the dark. This mechanism has become very popular in Germany. There he was improved later.
One of the interesting facts about watches: the shadow in the solar 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 instruments for measuring time within a day.
Pendulum clock
The story of their appearance is very long. And she has many different versions. Today we cannot confidently incline to one or another version of the development of events. You can’t say exactly who invented the watch, because with each innovation, you can safely transfer the primacy to the new inventor.
So, Christian Huigenson 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 is 10 hours and 10 minutes. What is the reason for this pattern? Everything is very simple in terms of psychology. If you look at the dial, then the hands on the watch in this position will resemble a smile, which affects potential buyers well.
Wrist accessory
In Germany, Peter Enlein invented the first portable watch that could be worn on the hand. This mechanism was not very accurate. But in fairness I must say - it was a big leap in the modification of watches. An interesting fact about the accessory invented by Peter: his brainchild was the first to carry Blaise Pascal on his hand. Using a thread, he attached it to his wrist, which later became an impetus for the development of straps.
Quartz watch
Quartz refers to a type of crystal. Due to its characteristics, quartz watches are considered the most accurate. The need for their manufacture was the need for an engineer from Canada in a reliable device that will measure time. In 1927, an engineer named Warren Marrison created the first quartz watch in a laboratory.
Nowadays, there is one interesting fact about watches: the most expensive time meter costs $ 55 million. The strap of such watches is strewn with huge diamonds, and the dial fades against the backdrop of such a sophistication.
Mechanical watches
The first such device was invented at the beginning of the XIII century. Who and when exactly developed it, history is unknown. Like an alarm clock, he called at the right time, but did not show it. In 1364, the Italian Giovanni Donoi added the hands and dial to the movement.
There are unusual and interesting facts about mechanical watches:
- For a long time they were large, but for the reigning Mikhail Fedorovich, watches were designed and manufactured, which were placed in a ring. The first room clock with arrows was given as a gift by Ivan IV from the Swedish king Gustav II.
- A mechanical watch with a fight was at the court of Prince Vasily Dmitrievich. The monk Lazar Serbin invented such a mechanism.
- Catherine II received a gorgeous gift from Ivan Kulibin. This craftsman made a mechanical instrument for measuring time in the form of a duck egg. A small theater was built into it, where the production of the birth of Christ was staged, and a hymn was played at noon.
First alarm clock
In 250 BC, the Greeks created an interesting design of water clocks. Water rose to a certain level and acted on a mechanical bird, which made a whistle. In 1787, Leahi Hutchins invented a mechanical alarm clock, but he could only ring at 4 in the morning. However, already in 1876, Set I. Thomas made an alarm clock that woke up a person at the right time for him.
In 1908, the Swiss company Eterna manufactured the first ever wristwatch in which an alarm clock was built. And already in 1914 they were sent to mass production.
The most unusual watch
Over time, many inventors began to experiment with the appearance of the device or supplement it with unusual elements.
There are such varieties of designs:
- Energy clock of a green monster.
- Wooden.
- Clock card.
- Lotto Watch.
- Mirrored.
- Clock of relativity and many others.
Short stories
In conclusion, consider some interesting facts about the hourglass:
- In the hourglass, the filler is unusual. It is angular, as it should evenly pass through a narrow hole in the tank. Such sand wears out the glass, and it expands the jumper, which subsequently makes the watch inaccurate.
- The hourglass used by doctors and photographers is filled with lead or zinc dust.
- The most famous watch brand is Omega Speedmaster. And she became famous thanks to NASA astronauts. These watches accompanied them during the flight to the moon and during the experiment on docking with the Soyuz and Apollo.
- This accessory on a hand used to be a privilege of women. Men wore such an element on a chain around their neck or in their pockets. But in World War I, this was very inconvenient, and the soldiers began to wear a watch on their wrist.
- In Brazil, in the city of Para, locals use the "rain hours". They know the time by precipitation.
- In the Czech Republic, in the town of Trutnov, craftsmen built a watch that makes a deafening sound, warning people that local beer bars are closing. If residents disobey, they are fined. If the second ringing is ignored, they are forbidden to visit the bars for a whole year.
- More than 20 workers are working on one watch.
- Actor Bruce Willis, when filming in many films, put an accessory on his wrist with a dial down.
- Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology invented atomic clocks. They are considered the most accurate in the whole world. Such a mechanism for measuring time allows an error of one second per million years.
- In large cities, landscape designers often decorate flowerbeds with floral watches that show time. Their mechanism is very simple and hidden underground. The dial and numbers are decorated in vivid colors. This decoration is very impressive for citizens and foreign guests.
- In Germany, the first walking watches were invented. There was only one hand on the dial. In the 19th century, wise men added a second hour hand and established a cuckoo. And so we all had our favorite cuckoo clocks. Initially, only wealthy 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 became a controversial issue among scientists.
- In the Middle Ages, monks were guided in time by the number of prayers read. Over time, they began to calculate the time by candlelight. The monks applied the 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.