subject: DoYou Know the Origin & Developing Process of Watch [print this page] DoYou Know the Origin & Developing Process of Watch
We know corona is the earliest instrument for giving the correct time, which is made up with corona plate and corona hand. The plate has scale, with a corona hand vertical to the plate in the central part. The shadow of the hand moves its place along with the twirling of the sun. At that time, the well-to-do people had already owned this kind of clock.
Egypt is the first country to do the export of clepsydra, which is formed with two lapped cylinders. The water drops from the upper cylinder trough a small hole into the lower one. When the water is used up, it is always regarded as a definite period of time. The water in the clepsydra of large size can record six hours one time, then to refill the container again with water again. The competent clock-maker in ancient Egypt even invented the clock installed with hands and sound. A certain amount of balls tumble on the metal cover, causing sound. Romans are the predominant buyers of this kind of clock.
The means of recording time by clepsydra had lasted for thousands of years. It is not until the twelfth century did a monk invent the so called sand clock, thus clepsydra was gradually replaced by sand clock. Afterward, the clock familiar with the one we use today came into being. It is worth mentioning that the sand clock only was used by the priest to arrange time.
In about 1290s, the early mechanical clock appeared in the north part of Italy. It is a kind of clock with the motive power brought by sliding weight of a steelyard, and it tingled every hour automatically. In 1336, the first public clock was set in a Milan church. During the following half century, the clock spread to European countries like France, Germany, they all built the bell tower.
In 1806, the wife of Nepoleon had made a typical watch for the princess. And it was the earliest record about watch so far. It was a watch paying more attention to the appearance and decoration, with the shape of bracelet. At that time, what popular with man was pocket watch, a symbol of social status; while for women was the waist watch.
In 1885, the German navy bought a plenty of watches from Swiss. The practical applicability gained the recognition of the public. Gradually the watch becomes popular among common people. With the developing of science and technology, the watch becomes more advanced and delicate, many of which has been luxury today.
