Happy hours don't watch!
Alexander Griboyedov
The first clocks to appear on Earth were solar clocks. They were created by the inhabitants of ancient Babylon more than 3 thousand years ago. It is this instrument for measuring time that has survived to this day in its original form. During the Late Paleolithic era, people tried to measure time by the movement of the Sun across the sky. A pole was placed in the center of this meter, and the cast shadow was measured in steps. On cloudy days it was much more difficult to determine the accuracy of time, but these costs, along with the developments of the era, were completely negligible.
The next time-telling device was the hourglass. This item consisted of two glass flasks placed one on top of the other. Sand was poured into the upper part of the unit, which poured out in a thin stream from top to bottom over a certain period of time.
Almost during the same period, fire clocks appeared in China, which were sandalwood or other aromatic tree varieties ground into powder with the addition of resin. Long spirals were created from this dough-like substance, onto which digital divisions were applied.The spiral was hung horizontally, and its edge was set on fire. Such a clock showed the time throughout the day, but the accuracy of this device directly depended on the strength of the wind, and therefore was extremely low. Sometimes metal balls were attached to a certain section of the spiral. When the spiral burned out, the balls fell loudly onto the glass surface, creating the effect of an alarm clock.
Miners in the mines used oil clocks. A certain amount of oil was poured into a clay pot and the wick was lit, which burned, illuminating the dark underground walls. This device worked for exactly 10 hours. The wick, when it stopped burning, signaled to the workers the end of the shift.
The first mechanical clocks were created in the Chinese Empire under the government of Emperor Li Yuan in 725 AD by the astronomer Yixing and the mathematician-engineer Lincazan. The appearance of a mechanism based on the movement of a pendulum became one of the outstanding discoveries of that era.
In medieval Europe, a mechanical clock was first installed on a tower; the device was equipped with only one hand and did not show the minute. France at that time was extremely religious, so tower chronometers celebrated major Christian holidays. In addition to the arrow showing the time, this historical exhibit was equipped with a figurine of the Virgin Mary, to whom the figures of the three wise men and the golden rooster bowed every day at noon.
Unfortunately, only a portion of those clocks have survived to this day. Nevertheless, even it periodically undergoes reconstruction, because it is considered a historical and religious object of cultural heritage.
In Russia, the first mechanical clock was installed in the 15th century on the clock tower of the Annunciation Monastery, located on the territory of the Kremlin.Those tower chimes were created by the Serbian monk and clergyman Lazar at the request of the Russian rulers. The original copy was repeatedly changed and improved, however, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower is still a symbol of the unity of people and God. Until now, the annual congratulations of the President of the Russian Federation are recorded from this sacred place on the Spasskaya Tower.
The next step in the development of the watch industry was the appearance of pocket watches in 1675. The Dutch scientist, mechanic and astronomer Christian van Zuylich created a clock mechanism of a size familiar to modern man. A pocket watch with a chain and key fob was worn in the breast pocket of a suit. Some representatives of the noble families of Europe continue to use them to this day. Until the end of the 19th century, wristwatches were exclusively a women's accessory; ladies wore them as decoration and were liberally studded with stones. It was not until 1900 that wristwatches began to be mass produced for men and women.
The most accurate clocks on the planet are atomic (molecular). Their permissible error is no more than 1 second over several hundred billion years.
Today in the world there are a variety of models of wall, pocket and wrist watches. This accessory is a must in the collection of any world designer.