The history of watches goes back several millennia, and few people have an idea of what the prototypes of modern models looked like. In ancient times, people determined time by the movement of the Sun, therefore, of course, there could be no question of any accuracy. In those days, it was only possible to differentiate the time of day: the sun at its zenith - noon, sunset - evening. It is not surprising that the world's first solar clock became.
Instructions
Step 1
The first sundial in the world appeared supposedly in 3500 BC. The time was determined by the shadow falling on the dial from a special wand - a gnomon. Such clocks showed solar time, not local time, but people in any case had no idea about the division of the Earth into time zones (time standardization was implemented only in the 19th century).
Step 2
In 1400 BC. The Egyptians invented the water clock - clepsydra. They consisted of two communicating water tanks. Water flowed out through a narrow opening from one vessel to another. Such watches remained in use until the 17th century.
Step 3
The circumstances, time and place of the invention of the first mechanical watches to this day remain the subject of heated debate among scientists from different countries. The first literary mention of such a clock can be found in Dante's Divine Comedy. In Europe, mechanical watches became widespread in the XIII-XIV centuries. And their production was established in Italy at the beginning of the XIV century. Notably, early models lacked a dial. They informed about the time by the ringing of the percussion mechanism.
Step 4
The world's first watch with minute and second hands was invented in 1585 by the Swiss and German mathematician and instrument maker Jost Bürgi. He designed them especially for Landgrave Wilhelm IV.
Step 5
The first pendulum clock was born between 1656 and 1660. Their development is associated with the name of Galileo Galilei. The pendulum clock was popularized through the efforts of Huygens, who wrote the famous treatise "The Clock".
Step 6
A revolution in the art of watchmaking was the invention of quartz watches, surpassing their mechanical predecessors in accuracy. They were created by Warren Marrizon in 1927, but the economic revolution (known as the "quartz crisis"), associated with the massive transition from mechanical to quartz watches, took place in the 70s and 80s. Today, Swiss mechanical watches from famous antique brands rely on prestige and solidity. Such watches are an accessory indicating the status and taste of their owner.
