DesignerDeco

Clocks

Posted on 17. Feb, 2009 by DesignerDeco in Modern Decor

Have you ever stopped and wondered about some of the most common things that you use in everyday life, like the clock for example? Clocks are common fixtures that you see and use in almost all aspects of your life, as you base all your activities on the time it tells. Clocks are basically instruments that are operated by different types of mechanisms that enable it to show time.

History of clocks

Though the days, the lunar months, and the year were used to indicate the passage of time, there still was a need to divide the day into more manageable portions. Clocks of different makes were born out of these needs. First there were the sundials that helped early man tell the time during the day. However, at night, these were useless because of the dependence on sunlight to cast shadows. Another type of ancient clocks were the water clocks. This type of clock was more accurate and could even function at night.

Mechanical clocks eventually came into fashion as man’s knowledge and technology improved through the years. Clocks that were operated by pendulum, quartz, and even astronomical clocks were made. Smaller clocks were a challenge to build at first because of the questions in accuracy and power source. In order to power a clock, one had to wind it. The minute hand was introduced in the early 1400s and by the 1500s, many clockmakers have perfected their own versions and patents of this machine.

Eventually, in the electronic age, not all clocks needed to have those intricate clockwork parts to keep them running. Newer clocks of today are now powered by quartz crystals, batteries, and even by vibrating tuning forks.

Clock art and design

Though common belief states that Swiss timepieces are the best and most accurate clocks, there are other artisans and clockmakers from different countries who have made their fortunes by perfecting the look of clocks. The use of enamel for the faces of clocks were introduced only in the late 1600s, around the same time that the grandfather clock, with its signature tall frame to house the pendulum, was invented by William Clement, an English clockmaker. The Swiss were particularly known for their trademark cuckoo clocks, the early kind of alarm clocks that were wall-mounted and announced the hour with a distinguished bird’s call. The French Rococo clocks were distinguished by the combined elements of French rocaille or shell design with elegant baroque overtones.

Modern designs of clocks nowadays have challenged the conventional representations given by the hour and minute hands. Now, there are clocks that may take a longer while to read before you can tell the time. Bead-type clocks, binary code clocks, and even word clocks that tell you that its almost nine o’clock literally are useful and decorative time pieces to adorn your home, your office, and if the local government permits it, even the train station.

Tags: Clocks