Clockmaker
Encyclopedia
A clockmaker is an artisan
who makes and repairs clock
s. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly to repairing clocks and watches. Clockmakers must be able to read blueprints and instructions for numerous types of clocks and time pieces that vary from antique clocks to modern time pieces in order to fix and make clocks or watches. The trade requires fine motor coordination as clockmakers must frequently work on devices with small gears and fine machinery.
Originally, clockmakers were master craftsmen who designed and built clocks by hand. Since modern clockmakers are required to repair antique, handmade or one-of-a-kind clocks for which parts are not available, they must have some of the design and fabrication abilities of the original craftsmen. A qualified clockmaker can typically design and make a missing piece for a clock without access to the original component.
Clockmakers generally do not work on watch
es; the skills and tools required are different enough that watchmaking is a separate field, handled by another specialist, the watchmaker
.
was invented by a young German clockmaker, which was then mass produced by another clockmaker, Matthias Hohner
.
Prior to 1800 clocks were entirely handmade, including all their parts, in a single shop under a master clockmaker. By the 19th century, clock parts were beginning to be made in small factories, but the skilled work of designing, assembling, and adjusting the clock was still done by clockmaking shops. By the 20th century, interchangeable parts and standardized designs allowed the entire clock to be assembled in factories, and clockmakers specialized in repair.
Galileo Galilei
drew the first designs for a grandfather clock after making the discovery that time could be told using a pendulum. He based this design on the verge-and-foliot control mechanism first invented around 1285 and is credited for the first formal construction of a clock. In 1602, he began investigating the idea of the time it takes a pendulum to swing back and forth in relation to the isochronism or arc of the swing. Twenty one years earlier, Galileo had been studying at the University of Pisa
and developed the pendulum and the concept of time began after encountering a suspended lamp swing back and forth in the Cathedral of Pisa. Galileo went on to detail the effect of isochronism in a letter to a friend. Soon after, friend and Venetian physician, Santorio Santorio began using a pulsilogium, or short pendulum, to measure the pulse of his patients. After the utilization of various pendulums, the process of clock making became generalized.
There are many schools around the world dedicated to teaching people how to make and repair clocks.
Deists often call God
the "Clockmaker". The Temple of the Great Clockmaker, in the novel The Case Of The Dead Certainty by Kel Richards
, is a temple which represents deism. There is a religious theory called the Clock Maker Theory.
During the 1800s and 1900s, clocks or watches were carried around as a form of flaunting social status. They were also a way of instilling a sense of time regulation for work in the budding industrial market.
In 2004, Jim Krueger wrote a comic book entitled The Clock Maker, published by German publisher Image Publishing, that focuses on the life of a clock maker.
Art-
Artist Tony Troy creates the Illustration titled "The Clockmaker" in 2003 for his Broadway musical "The Fluteplayer's Song"
http://www.tonytroyillustrations.com/catalog/i2.html
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
who makes and repairs clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
s. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly to repairing clocks and watches. Clockmakers must be able to read blueprints and instructions for numerous types of clocks and time pieces that vary from antique clocks to modern time pieces in order to fix and make clocks or watches. The trade requires fine motor coordination as clockmakers must frequently work on devices with small gears and fine machinery.
Originally, clockmakers were master craftsmen who designed and built clocks by hand. Since modern clockmakers are required to repair antique, handmade or one-of-a-kind clocks for which parts are not available, they must have some of the design and fabrication abilities of the original craftsmen. A qualified clockmaker can typically design and make a missing piece for a clock without access to the original component.
Clockmakers generally do not work on watch
Watch
A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...
es; the skills and tools required are different enough that watchmaking is a separate field, handled by another specialist, the watchmaker
Watchmaker
A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since virtually all watches are now factory made, most modern watchmakers solely repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand...
.
Origins and specialities
The earliest use of the term clokkemaker is said to date from 1390, about a century after the first mechanical clocks appeared. From the beginning in the 15th century through the 17th century clockmaking was considered the "leading edge", most technically advanced trade existing. Historically, the best clockmakers often also built scientific instruments, as for a long time they were the only craftsmen around trained in designing precision mechanical apparatus. In one example, the harmonicaHarmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
was invented by a young German clockmaker, which was then mass produced by another clockmaker, Matthias Hohner
Hohner
Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a company specialising in the manufacture of musical instruments. Founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner , Hohner is identified especially with harmonicas and accordions. The Hohner company has invented and produced many different styles, and most of the...
.
Prior to 1800 clocks were entirely handmade, including all their parts, in a single shop under a master clockmaker. By the 19th century, clock parts were beginning to be made in small factories, but the skilled work of designing, assembling, and adjusting the clock was still done by clockmaking shops. By the 20th century, interchangeable parts and standardized designs allowed the entire clock to be assembled in factories, and clockmakers specialized in repair.
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
drew the first designs for a grandfather clock after making the discovery that time could be told using a pendulum. He based this design on the verge-and-foliot control mechanism first invented around 1285 and is credited for the first formal construction of a clock. In 1602, he began investigating the idea of the time it takes a pendulum to swing back and forth in relation to the isochronism or arc of the swing. Twenty one years earlier, Galileo had been studying at the University of Pisa
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
and developed the pendulum and the concept of time began after encountering a suspended lamp swing back and forth in the Cathedral of Pisa. Galileo went on to detail the effect of isochronism in a letter to a friend. Soon after, friend and Venetian physician, Santorio Santorio began using a pulsilogium, or short pendulum, to measure the pulse of his patients. After the utilization of various pendulums, the process of clock making became generalized.
Guilds
As the art of making clocks became more widespread and distinguished the start of guilds specifically for this trade emerged around the sixteenth century. One of the first guilds to develop for clock making was known as the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers; the group formed after a small number of foreign-trained clockmakers spent time working in London. A requirement of join the guild was to practice their craft and gain as much experience as possible, along with joining one of many other trade guilds, such as the Blacksmiths, Stationers, or Drapers Company. During the early seventeenth century, the demand for clocks and watches grew and the Golden Age of Clockmaking surfaced.Tools
Throughout history, clock makers have used many instruments in building their clocks. While the tools were useful in assisting the clockmaker, they were inefficient and unreliable. Beginning in the nineteeth century, new tools were developed. Although steel was the primary resource in the construction of most of the tools made during this time, wood and iron also began being utilized.- Balance Truing Caliper: A steel device was constructed by E.F.B. & Company. The device aided clock makers in stabilizing a balance wheel. During the utilization of this tool, the pivots of the wheel were positioned into small impressions in the arms of the caliper. The index was then shifted toward the edge of the balance wheel; after this process, the wheel was spun to see if it was sturdy enough to be manufactured.
- Die/Screw Plate: The die plate was used to cut threads on small screws. Threads are split on a piece of wire as it is alternated through the holes that form the screw.
- File: A steel mechanism was used to shape and varnish the metal before it was used to make and fit wheels or plates. There were many variations of files.
- Rivet Extracting Pliers: Made of brass or steel, rivet extracting pliers were used to remove attachments from assorted clock parts.
- Jeweler’s Piercing Saw: The blade of the saw was isolated by releasing the thumbscrew adjacent to the handle. After isolation, a hole was drilled and the blade was replaced for the cut to be made. This device was popular among clock makers to repair the ends of clock hands.
- Staking tool: An iron vertical plunger was used with an array of stakes for placing rollers and balanced wheels on staffs.
- Turns: Turns were used for furbishing parts and for lacerating gear blanks to size. During the process of utilization, turns were clamped in a vice and the worker held a cutting or polishing tool on a tee shaped tool rest with one hand, and shifted the bow back and forth with the other to pivot the work.
- Cross Peen Riveting Hammer: The flat end of the tool was for general use, whereas the carved peen end was used for dispersing rivet heads. This tool was used for forging, riveting, striking steel, etc.
Modern Education
The craft of making clocks began around the Babylonian times and remains a clockmaker is still a common profession. In the past, becoming a clockmaker involved attending a clock making or watchmaking school. Some countries, like Denmark, require apprenticeship with a master clock or watch maker, which can last up to four years. After attending a clock or watch making school and obtaining an apprenticeship, a written test and bench exam may be required to gain certification.There are many schools around the world dedicated to teaching people how to make and repair clocks.
- Australia, VIC, Australian Watchmaking School, Ringwood
- Belgium, Technicum Noord-Antwerpen, Antwerp
- Canada, Ecole National D'Horlogerie, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
- Denmark, Den Danske Urmagerskole, Ringsted
- Finland, The Finnish School of Watchmaking, Espoo
- Germany, Flüthe Uhrseminaren, Telgte
- Germany, Hessische Uhrmacherschule, Hessenpark
- Germany, Mecanicus, Ohmden, seminars for collectors and enthusiasts
- Ireland, Irish/Swiss Institute of Horology, Dublin email morissetm@csduroy.qc.ca
- Netherlands, De Vakschool, Schoonhoven
- Spain, Institut Politecnic de Formació Professional Mare de Déu de la Mercè, Barcelona 093 223 25 66
- Switzerland, CFPT - Ecole d'horlogerie
- Switzerland, CIFOM - Centre intercommunal de formation des Montagnes neuchâteloises
- Switzerland, Ecole Technique de la Vallee de Joux, Le Sentier
- Switzerland, Watchmakers of Switzerland Tech. & Ed. Program (WOSTEP), Neuchatel
- UK, Birmingham City University, BHI Certificates and HND in Horology
- UK, British Horological Institute Seminars & Distance Learning Course
- UK, Quality Time Clock Courses, Near Pulborough, West Sussex
- UK, West Dean College, Chichester, West Sussex, Antique Clock Conservation & Restoration
- USA, AWCI Bench Courses
- USA, AWCI Continuing Education
- USA, Bishop State Community College, Mobile, AL
- USA, Career Preparation Center Horology Department, Sterling Heights, MI
- USA, Gem City College School of Horology , Quincy, IL
- USA, Jones County Jr. College Horology Department, Ellisville, MS
- USA, Lititz Watch Technicum, Lititz, PA
- USA, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee, WI
- USA, NAWCC Field Suitcase Workshops
- USA, NAWCC School of Horology, Columbia, PA
- USA, NorWest Voc’Tec, Seattle, WA, a school teaching both watch and clock repair for students at all levels
- USA, Oklahoma St. University Watchmaking & Microtechnology, Okmulgee, OK
- USA, Paris Junior College Horology Department, Paris, TX
- USA, Saint Paul College Micro Mechanical Technology/Watchmaking, St. Paul, MN
- USA, York Time Institute, York, PA
Other uses
Clockmaker is also the name of several movies.Deists often call God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
the "Clockmaker". The Temple of the Great Clockmaker, in the novel The Case Of The Dead Certainty by Kel Richards
Kel Richards
Kevin Barry "Kel" Richards is an Australian author, journalist and radio personality.Richards has written a series of crime novels and thrillers for adult readers which includes The Case of the Vanishing Corpse, Death in Egypt and An Outbreak of Darkness.Richards presented ABC NewsRadio's weekend...
, is a temple which represents deism. There is a religious theory called the Clock Maker Theory.
During the 1800s and 1900s, clocks or watches were carried around as a form of flaunting social status. They were also a way of instilling a sense of time regulation for work in the budding industrial market.
In 2004, Jim Krueger wrote a comic book entitled The Clock Maker, published by German publisher Image Publishing, that focuses on the life of a clock maker.
Art-
Artist Tony Troy creates the Illustration titled "The Clockmaker" in 2003 for his Broadway musical "The Fluteplayer's Song"
http://www.tonytroyillustrations.com/catalog/i2.html
Notable clockmakers
- John ArnoldJohn ArnoldJohn Arnold was an English watchmaker and inventor.John Arnold was the first to design a watch that was both practical and accurate, and also brought the term "Chronometer" in to use in its modern sense, meaning a precision timekeeper...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Johann Baptist BehaJohann Baptist BehaJohann Baptist Beha was a prestigious Black Forest clockmaker born in Oberbränd . He was trained by his father, the master clockmaker Vinzenz Beha , in his workshop where he built around 365 clocks between 1839 and 1845. At that time V. Beha was already known for the quality of his clocks, he made...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Ferdinand BerthoudFerdinand BerthoudFerdinand Berthoud was a Swiss chronometer-maker.-Career:He was born at Plancemont, Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Having served his apprenticeship with his brother, Jean-Henri, a pendulum maker, he set up a clockmaking business in Paris in 1745 and gained a great reputation for the excellence and...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
& SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... - Abraham Louis BreguetAbraham Louis BreguetAbraham-Louis Breguet or Bréguet , born in Neuchâtel in Switzerland, was a horologist who made many innovations in the course of a career in watchmaking in France...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
& SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... - Martin BurgessMartin BurgessEdward Martin Burgess FSA FBHI, born 21 November 1931, known as Martin Burgess, is an English horologist and master clockmaker.-Early life:Burgess was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, between 1944 and 1949, where he was a member of Farfield...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Joost BürgiJoost BürgiJost Bürgi, or Joost, or Jobst Bürgi , active primarily at the courts in Kassel and Prague, was a Swiss clockmaker, a maker of astronomical instruments and a mathematician....
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... - Konstantin Chaykin, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
- William Clement, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- Samuel CosterSamuel CosterSamuel Coster was a Dutch playwright.Coster was the fifth child of Adriaen Lennaertz, sexton and carpenter, and Aeltgen Jansd. By around 1605, he was a member of the Amsterdam rederijkerskamer "De Eglantier". Presumably he was helped into the society by rich friends, but then got himself to...
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... - Aaron Lufkin DennisonAaron Lufkin DennisonAaron Lufkin Dennison .-Early life:Aaron Dennison was born in Freeport, Maine, after which the family moved to Brunswick, Maine. He was the son of Andrew Dennison, a boot and shoemaker who was also a music teacher. As a child Aaron earned pocket money by carrying a builder’s hod, working as a...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Giovanni de Dondi, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- Richard DonisthorpRichard DonisthorpRichard Donisthorp was a clockmaker in Loughborough in the United Kingdom. He used the surname spelt Donisthorp as an engraved signature on the clock faces he made and was a member of the Donisthorp family who were Leicestershire clockmakers. The name of Donisthorp appears in records also as...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Hans DüringerHans DüringerHans Düringer was a clockmaker from Nuremberg in Germany who died 1477 in Rostock. His most famous works are the astronomical clocks in St.Mary's Church, Danzig 1470 and St...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - John Ellicott, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- George GrahamGeorge Graham (clockmaker)George Graham was an English clockmaker, inventor, and geophysicist, and a Fellow of the Royal Society.He was born to George Graham in Kirklinton, Cumberland. A Friend like his mentor Thomas Tompion, Graham left Cumberland in 1688 for London to work with Tompion...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - John HarrisonJohn HarrisonJohn Harrison was a self-educated English clockmaker. He invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought device in solving the problem of establishing the East-West position or longitude of a ship at sea, thus revolutionising and extending the possibility of safe long distance sea travel in the Age...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Peter HenleinPeter HenleinPeter Henlein , a locksmith and watchmaker from Nuremberg, is often considered the inventor of the portable timekeeper, making him the inventor of the watch, but this claim is disputed...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Christiaan Huygens, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
- Antide JanvierAntide JanvierAntide Janvier was a French clockmaker.He was born in a village in the Jura, and learned the basics of his trade from his father, and was educated in Latin, Greek, mathematics and astronomy by a local abbé...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... - Mikulas of KadanMikulas of KadanMikuláš of Kadaň was an Imperial clockmaker who designed the clock machine of Prague Orloj together with Jan Šindel around 1410 . The Orloj was modified by Master Hanuš who was mistaken to be the creator of the clock according to the legend recorded by Alois Jirásek....
- Franz KettererFranz KettererFranz Anton Ketterer was a German clockmaker.Ketterer, one of the founding fathers of the Black Forest clockmaking industry in Germany, was born in the village of . He is chiefly remembered as one of the earliest makers of cuckoo clocks in the Black Forest...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Joseph KnibbJoseph KnibbJoseph Knibb was an English clockmaker.-Biography:He was born as the fifth son of Thomas Knibb, yeoman of Claydon, in 1640. He was cousin to Samuel Knibb, clockmaker, to whom he was apprenticed in 1655. After serving his seven years he moved to Oxford in 1662, the year Samuel moved to London.In...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Jean-Antoine LépineJean-Antoine LépineJean-Antoine Lépine , was a revolutionary and inventive French watch and clockmaker, who contributed with crucial inventions for watchmaking still used nowadays...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... - David RittenhouseDavid RittenhouseDavid Rittenhouse was a renowned American astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman and public official...
, USA - Pierre LeRoy, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- Jens OlsenJens OlsenJens Olsen was a clockmaker, locksmith and astromechanic who built the famous world clock located in the city hall of Copenhagen, the Rådhus. He was born in Ribe, Denmark. Ever since he was a small child, Olsen was interested in clocks and other mechanical devices...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... - Rasmus SørnesRasmus SørnesRasmus Jonassen Sørnes , inventor, clockmaker and radio technician, is most famous for his astronomical clocks, but also designed in his lifetime a large variety of agricultural, radio-technical and mechanical devices, only a few of them patented.Rasmus Sørnes was born in Sola in Norway in 1893...
, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... - Adolf Scheibe and Udo Adelsberger, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- Eli TerryEli TerryEli Terry Sr. was an inventor and clockmaker in Connecticut. He received a United States patent for a shelf clock mechanism. He introduced mass production to the art of clockmaking, which made clocks affordable for the average American citizen...
, USA - Thomas TompionThomas TompionThomas Tompion was an English clock maker, watchmaker and mechanician who is still regarded to this day as the Father of English Clockmaking. Tompion's work includes some of the most historic and important clocks and watches in the world and can command very high prices whenever outstanding...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Thwaites & ReedThwaites & ReedThwaites & Reed has been in continuous manufacture since its foundation and claims to be the oldest clock manufacturing company in the world. Geoffrey Buggins MBE, the last of the original family clockmakers saw drawings of Thwaites clocks dating back to 1610...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Sigmund RieflerSigmund Rieflerthumb|Sigmund RieflerSigmund Riefler was a German physicist, inventor and precision clockmaker.- Life :...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Benjamin VulliamyBenjamin VulliamyBenjamin Vulliamy , was a clockmaker responsible for building the Regulator Clock, which, between 1780 and 1884, was the official regulator of time in London.- Biography :...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Richard of WallingfordRichard of WallingfordRichard of Wallingford was an English mathematician who made major contributions to astronomy/astrology and horology while serving as abbot of St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire.-Biography:...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - Simon WillardSimon WillardSimon Willard were produced in Massachusetts in the Grafton and Roxbury workshops of Simon Willard , a celebrated U.S. clockmaker...
, USA - Su SongSu SongSu Song was a renowned Chinese polymath who specialized himself as a statesman, astronomer, cartographer, horologist, pharmacologist, mineralogist, zoologist, botanist, mechanical and architectural engineer, poet, antiquarian, and ambassador of the Song Dynasty .Su Song was the engineer of a...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Clockmaking organizations
- AWCI
- Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FHFederation of the Swiss Watch Industry FHThe Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH is the Swiss watch industry's leading trade association.-History:...
- British Horological InstituteBritish Horological InstituteThe British Horological Institute is the representative body of the horological industry in the United Kingdom.-History:...
- Worshipful Company of ClockmakersWorshipful Company of ClockmakersThe Worshipful Company of Clockmakers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Clockmakers were formed by a Royal Charter in 1631. Originally, no person was allowed to sell clocks unless they were a member of the Company. However, such requirements have since been relaxed and later...
See also
- ClockkeeperClockkeeperA clockkeeper, sometimes seen as clock keeper, refers to a form of employment seen prevalently during Middle Age Europe involving the tracking of time and the maintaining of clocks and other timekeeping devices...
- Marine chronometerMarine chronometerA marine chronometer is a clock that is precise and accurate enough to be used as a portable time standard; it can therefore be used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation...
- Chronometer watchChronometer watchA chronometer watch is a specific type of watch tested and certified to meet certain precision standards. In Switzerland, only timepieces certified by the COSC may use the word 'Chronometer' on them....
- List of clock manufacturers
- horologyHorologyHorology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers are all examples of instruments used to measure time.People interested in horology are called horologists...
- watchmakerWatchmakerA watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since virtually all watches are now factory made, most modern watchmakers solely repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand...