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WatchTool.co.uk, a bergeon watch tool supplier, offers you 10 Unique Watch Technologies for your perusal.

Since their early days, watches have been continuously improved upon. Watchmakers always seem to strive to add that something extra, that complication – as it’s called in the language of horology – sure to make a watch stand out from the rest.

That constant striving has created some remarkably innovative watches, watches that capture the interest and the imagination just as securely as they mark the time. Here are 10 unique watch technologies:

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Check out the full story at WatchTool.co.uk

By Simon Oldmann

Antique clocks and watches were made using different materials, designs, styles, and sizes long, long ago. The ability to accurately identify and research on this antique clocks and watches are important then because of the diversity, as well as the number, of clock and watchmakers and manufacturers around the world.

Back in Time

Time measurement has been one of the concerns of every developing civilization in the world since time immemorial. No wonder that man devised ways to tell time. An example is the use of the world’s natural clock which is the sun and the mechanical ones such as clocks and watches.

If we are going to trace the history of clocks and watches, we would be back to the late 14th century when the first clock was made. In the early years, as well as many centuries over, mechanical clocks and watches were so uncommon and made by few that only rulers and noblemen had such. The common people, especially those in Europe, have to rely on the few public clocks that are existent.

The majority of clocks and watches made from the 15th to the middle of the 17th century are now mostly in museums and a small percentage in different individuals’ private collection. Most people will never set eyes on these timekeepers nor will be able to recognize them.

Those antique clocks and watches that were made during the 1800’s through the early 1900’s are more in number since the periods mentioned were the time when clocks and watches were produced in mass quantities.

Things to Consider

Many antique clock and watch collectors would agree that periods in history greatly influenced the materials and styles of clocks and watches, such that these timekeepers were not only used for time measurement, but as decoration as well. Also, they were made with such high quality that with proper care and maintenance, they are apt to last several centuries.

They are the total opposite of most clocks and watches that we have today, however. In a fast-paced world where everything is instant and disposable, clock and watch craftsmanship in the modern age can be considered of low quality compared to that of one or two centuries ago.

There are several things that you may take into consideration if you are a collector or just a one time buyer of an antique clock or watch - besides the fact that it should be interesting, beautiful, befitting your needs or you want it to be a part of your life and home for many years.

The General Condition - This is a very important factor in determining the value of the clock or watch. The timepiece should be competently restored and accurately regulated. If these aspects are not looked into, the clock or watch may just serve as decoration rather than both decorative and functional.

Collecting Antiques is a passion many know too well, many of these antique these collections are surprisingly valuable and extremely interesting and valuable. If you are interested in having, or already started, your own Antique Collecting visit the Antiques Pages at antiques.zupatips.com to learn about more antiques and collections.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Oldmann

On November 7, 2007 … HERBERT KÖNIG (Proprietor of Corydon Clock Repair) .. was involved in an accident and has been in recovery ever since.

If you have any questions or concerns, please send an email to …
info (at) CorydonClock (dot) com

Thank-You
HART (1-800-HART)
for .. Corydon Clock Repair

By Michael Russell

In this last article of the series, repairing your grandfather clock on your own, we’re going to go over some more things you can do at home before taking your grandfather clock in for repair.

Another common problem with grandfather clocks is for the chimes to go out of sequence with the time that’s displayed. This usually happens on the quarter hour chimes. If this happens there may not necessarily be anything wrong with the chimes mechanism. Most grandfather clocks that have been manufactured in the last 50 years have a chime correction device that should recycle the chimes back in sync with the minute hand when it reaches the hour. If your particular grandfather clock doesn’t have an automatic chime correction device, the problem can be manually corrected by turning the minute hand back 15 minutes then forward past the quarter hour. Just keep doing this until the number of chimes match the quarter hour the hand is pointing to.

To give you an example, Westminster chimes play 4 notes on the first quarter hour, 8 notes on the half hour, 12 notes on the three quarter hour and 16 notes at the top of the hour. If the problem still continues it may mean that the minute hand has been installed on its arbor in the wrong direction. To fix this, remove the nut holding down the minute hand with a pair of pliers. Then, pull the minute hand off, rotate it to the quarter hour indicated by the number of chimes being played and then reinstall the nut. This should get the chimes back in sync with the timing mechanism.

One final problem is when the weights refuse to drop. Every quarter hour the time train causes the chimes to strike. That in turn causes the left strike weight to fall at the top of the hour. So if the time train center pendulum doesn’t drop then the chime and the strike weights won’t drop either. The first step in fixing this is to get the pendulum swinging again. We covered that in the first article.

If the right and left weights refuse to drop, meaning the pendulum is swinging and the clock hands are moving but the chime is not operating, then what will happen is the chime will not operate and in turn the strike will not operate either. What you do is check to see if the chime lever on the grandfather dial is properly centered over a chime and not in the off position. After doing that, you take the side panel off your grandfather clock and check to make sure that the steel chime retard bar has NOT been lowered onto the chime hammers causing the chimes not to operate.

If only the left weight will not drop that means only the hour strike is not operating. To fix this open the side panel and make sure that the steel retard bar has not been lowered onto the strike hammers causing them not to operate. Also make sure the hammers are operating freely. Finally, check and make sure that the trip lever from the chimes is releasing the strike train.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Grandfather Clocks

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

By Michael Russell

In this second article of our “repair your grandfather clock on your own” series we’re going to go over some other things you can do on your own before taking your prized possession to a very expensive repair shop.

In our first article we went over what to do if the pendulum doesn’t swing. Next we’re going to go over what to do if the clock runs too fast or too slow.

If the clock is running to fast or too slow what you need to do is adjust your pendulum bob. That big round disk at the end of your pendulum is your pendulum bob. You adjust your pendulum bob with the nut located at the bottom of the bob. This is what adjusts the timing. If the bob is raised up this will make the clock run faster. If the bob is lowered this will make the clock run slower. You can expect to get this accurate to within one minute fast or slow per week. Better than that, consider yourself lucky.

Start by setting your grandfather clock to a standard electric or quartz clock or watch. Then check the time against the clock 24 hours later. If the clock is running fast, turn the nut to the left. If the clock is running slow, turn the nut to the right. Then reset the time on your clock and check it again in another 24 hours. Keep performing this process until the clock appears to be running on time. Expect to do this every week at least. Keep a record of the distance you turned the nut each time so you will have an idea of how much you’ll need to turn it in the future.

Eventually the timing will be accurate enough so that you’ll only have to check the clock once each week and it should never be off by more than a minute. Just a tip. Some grandfather clocks are made so that a full turn of the nut is actually equal to one minute. So if your clock is running 2 minutes fast then all you need to do is turn the nut two full turns to the left and this will set the timing correctly. Of course the only way to know if your clock is one of these is to test this theory out.

Some grandfather clocks actually have two nuts attached to the bottom of the pendulum. If your clock is one of these then most likely it is a very accurate clock. Many clock owners believe the bottom nut is a lock nut against the top nut. This is not true. Actually you must make sure that the bottom and top nuts do not touch. Let the top nut raise or lower the pendulum bob until you’ve gotten the timekeeping as accurate as possible. Then by either turning left or right use the weight of the top nut to make your final adjustments to your clock’s timing.

In our last article we’ll go over some more tips on getting your grandfather clock running up to speed.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Grandfather Clocks

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

By Michael Russell

Grandfather clocks. Amazing pieces of machinery. Very few people understand how they work and even fewer know how to fix one, should something go wrong. Bringing to a repair shop is going to cost you an arm and a leg, so if you have a grandfather clock that’s not exactly running up to snuff and you don’t have the bucks to fix it, then you might want to try to tackle the job by yourself. In order to do that, aside from needing some mechanical expertise, you’re going to need some troubleshooting tips, since these marvels can get pretty complicated. This article is going to cover some of the things to do when trying to fix the old man.

Let’s start with the most common problem of a grandfather clock. The pendulum itself stops swinging.

The first thing you have to do is make sure the clock weights have been pulled up. Sometimes all that needs to be done is simply wind the weights. This can really save an unnecessary repair.

Next check the hands. Are they touching each other? If they are this will stop the pendulum from swinging. If they are touching and the time train is jammed all you need to do is push the hour hand slightly towards the dial in order to clear the minute hand. Just make sure it doesn’t touch the dial.

Next, check to see if the hands are touching the glass. If they are, all you have to do is bend the minute hand away from the glass.

If by some chance you’ve recently moved your grandfather clock (they are very temperamental and don’t like to be moved), the pendulum may have stopped swinging because the case is now leaning at a different angle. To fix this you simply have to start the pendulum swinging and balance your clock. Don’t use a level. Continue testing until the swinging sounds more balanced. This requires a good ear and a lot of patience. Balancing the clock itself may require you to do one of several things.

First you may have to actually place something under the clock on either the left or right side to get the pendulum swinging just right. A bracket or shim will probably do the trick for this.

Second, you may have to actually tip the clock itself towards the wall so that it is slightly leaning. You have to be very careful when performing these tricky manoeuvres. You don’t want to tip the clock too far in either direction or back. The clock may fall too far off balance and spill to the floor. Trying to catch one of these falling monsters is not easy so care is needed.

In the next article in this series we’re going to continue with troubleshooting techniques to figure out just what is wrong with the old man, including running too fast or slow, weights not falling, chimes out of sequence and others. By the time we’re done your grandfather clock should be as good as old.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Grandfather Clocks

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

By Neil Day

In this technological age, many people, especially the younger generation, would not see the need or appreciate the qualities of a chain pocket watch.

Pocket watches are seen as old fashioned. The ability to tell the time comes to people from all sorts of sources. Wristwatches are now the norm and yet even they seem to be dated, as a lot of people in this day and age don’t even wear watches any more. They simply use their mobile phones or personal digital assistants to tell the time. Yes, our ability to tell the time is taken for granted now.

That hasn’t always been the case. The history of pocket watches extends back to the 16th century, when craftsmen were first able to create portable clocks small enough to hang around the neck or fit inside a pocket. It was at this time when watches emerged as highly desirable commodities.

Imagine the skill needed to hand-produce things as intricate and complex as pocket watches, without modern tools and factories. A watchman would spend months creating a pocket watch. Watch making back then was one of the most difficult, but most respected professions. This craftsmanship didn’t come cheap, as each piece was very expensive.

To emphasise the work behind every piece, a pocket watch was usually encased in gold, adding even more value to the masterpiece. It goes without saying that only the rich were able to afford a pocket watch.

But why did they create a pocket watch, you might ask? Why the chain? Surely a wristwatch would have been more practical?

There are two simple reasons for this:

Firstly watches back in the 16th century were specially made with the rich people in mind. That was their market as they were the only ones who could afford to the instruments and pay for the clockmakers skills.

Secondly, rich gentlemen in Europe, where the pocket watch originated from, would never expose their arms in public. They believed that they had to distance themselves from the masses and dress in a way that displayed their wealth. Only labourers exposed their arms, as they had to do the menial jobs. It would have been unthinkable for a person of wealth and position to expose their arm to view the time.

That is why the value of a chain pocket watch has endured, and flourished, throughout the years. It still carries with it the elegance of the upper class and there are many who appreciate its rich history and own some beautiful collections.

Some collector’s pieces sell for thousands of dollars. Perhaps the next time you see such a pocket watch being sold on eBay you will understand why it attracts such a high price. Pocket chain watches are beautiful, classic instruments that tell us the time in a far more elegant way than a cell phone.

Neil Day is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Antique & Modern Pocket Watches.

He provides more free information on gold pocket watches, musical pocket watches, pocket railroad watches and pocket watch repair and more that you can research on his website.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neil_Day

As WatchPart.co.uk puts it:

Horology is the formal term for the science of timekeeping. Both clock and watchmaking have seen many significant technological advancements in modern times as they progressed from the early days of the spring powered clock up to IBM’s Linux Wrist Watch project. Most advancements in horology in the modern era have focused on three areas: 1) accuracy 2) miniaturization and 3) source of power.

It’s a good recap… Check out the 12 major technological innovations in modern history article.

By: Charles Kassotis

Tick-tock, tick-tock, a clock sounds like a heartbeat, doesn’t it? Maybe that’s one of the reasons that so many people enjoy collecting clocks, showcasing them at home, or buying them as presents for others. If you’re not a devoted fan of clocks, you may wonder what all the excitement is about. After all, a clock just tells time, right? Everyone has the same amount of time to spend, just 24 hours a day. Yet, for some, time is the essence of all things. An extra minute here or there can make life a little more enjoyable. That’s why some people really prize their clocks and make efforts to stay aware of time all around them.

To buy a clock as a gift, you will first want to be sure the recipient likes clocks and will have a place for the one you have in mind. No matter how attractive or reliable the timepiece may be, the receiver may not appreciate having it unless a clock is on his or her gift list. Assuming that a clock is at least a possible gift option, here are some ideas to consider:

1. Business people like desk clocks. Of course, it needs to be small enough to not take up much space, and it should have a style that will fit either the desk or a bookshelf, given spatial constraints the executive might face. Try to learn the style of dcor that is used in his or her home or worksite office so the clock will fit in. You also might try to find out if the person would prefer an LCD display, and Roman or Arabic numerals. If he or she is nearsighted, large numbers might be appreciated, too.

2. Travelers prefer small clocks. You can get a travel alarm clock for a modest price at many types of stores. Many people who travel for business or pleasure prefer a small, easy to pack clock with an alarm that can go anywhere. A clock radio, if small enough, might be preferable.

3. Anniversary couples appreciate decorative or commemorative clocks that enrich their home dcor. You can buy a clock with an insignia for a 10th, 25th, or 50th wedding anniversary. Or you can buy a newly married couple a wall clock for their home. There are key-wind clocks, electric clocks, and battery clocks, so try to get a clue as to which type your intended recipient will prefer.

4. Children enjoy theme clocks. Depending on their age, kids like Disney clocks, or those emblazoning favorite characters, cartoons, or toys. These may come with an attached light and shade, or they may be stand-alone units. Get some ideas from the parents before going shopping.

Clocks are fun to choose, affordable to buy, and easy to wrap. Put some on your next holiday or birthday shopping list to help friends and families keep up with the times. Then you may decide to ask for a clock of your own the next time a special occasion rolls around.

About the author:

For more information on choosing a gift clock, Visit The Clock Cart

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Article courtesy of: ClockTips.com

By: Rita Preece

‘My Grandfather’s clock was too large for the shelf, So it stood ninety years on the floor… …And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.’

Do you remember that song? The grandfather clock actually exists and the story it tells is a true one. In fact, it’s how the grandfather clock got its name.

The George Hotel is a 16th century coaching inn on the banks of the River Tees in Piecebridge, North Yorkshire, England.

In the late 19th century, the George Hotel was managed by the Jenkins brothers, a couple of bachelors. In the hotel lobby stood a long case clock which could always be relied on to keep good time.

Sadly, one of the brothers died suddenly and the clock began to lose time - at first just 15 minutes a day, then up to an hour a day and no clockmaker could repair it. The locals thought it no coincidence that when the other brother died at the age of ninety, the long case clock stopped, never to go again.

The hotel’s new manager left the clock exactly as it was in the lobby and in 1875 a visiting American songwriter heard the story of this amazing coincidence and came to the George Hotel to see the clock for himself. He told the story in a song and Henry Clay Work’s lyrics were published when he returned to America. Over a million copies of the song sheet, ‘My Grandfather’s Clock’ were sold.

And that’s how the grandfather clock got it’s name.

The George Hotel still stands on the banks of the River Tees in Piecebridge, North Yorkshire and offers reasonably priced accommodation. It has four poster beds, a bar and restaurant and an inglenook fireplace. It is a convenient base for exploring the North Yorkshire Moors and the Dales, as well as being a living piece of grandfather clock history.

My Grandfather’s Clock

By Henry Clay Work

Copyright unknown

My Grandfather’s clock was too large for the shelf, So it stood ninety years on the floor. It was taller by half than the old man himself, Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.

It was bought on the morn of the day he was born, It was always his treasure and pride, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro, Many hours he spent as a boy. And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know, And it shared both his sorrow and joy.

And it struck twenty-four when he entered the door, With a blooming and beautiful bride, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tick, It’s life seconds numbering, tick tock, tick, tock, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

My Grandfather said that of those he could hire, Not a servant so faithful he found. It wasted no time and it had one desire, At the end of the week to be wound.

And it stayed in its place, not a frown upon its face, And it’s hands never hung by it’s side, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Now it rang an alarm in the still of the night, An alarm that for years had been dumb. We knew that his spirit was pluming in flight, That his hour of departure had come.

Still the clock kept its time with a soft and muffled chime, As we silently stood by his side, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tick, It’s life seconds numbering, tick tock, tick, tock, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

About the author:

The author is a lover of grandfather clocks and will one day inherit her great-great grandfather’s long case clock. She hopes it doesn’t stop when its current owner dies.

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