Geochron
Encyclopedia
Geochron, Inc. is an American company founded by James Kilburg, an inventor from Luxembourg
. It is also the name of their flagship product, the Geochron Global Time Indicator. The Geochron was the first world clock
to display day and night on a world map, showing the familiar "bell curve" of light and darkness.
The Geochron employs an intricate analog clockwork mechanism for its display, that shows the month, date, day of the week, hours and minutes, the areas of the world currently experiencing day
and night
, and the meridian passage of the sun
. The main display is dominated by a world map
, with time zones prominently indicated. At the top of the map are arrows corresponding to each time zone
. As each day progresses, the map is scrolled to the left by gear mechanisms, and the arrows for each time zone shift their positions relative to a stationary band fixed at the top that has a horizontal series of numbers representing hours. The viewer may read the time by seeing what number his time zone's arrow is currently pointing to. The map is backlit, and a mechanism behind the map defines well-lit and shaded areas that are also stationary relative to the movement of the map. In this way, as time progresses, different areas are shown to be experiencing daytime and night. The center of the lit area lines up with the 12 noon
on the stationary time strip. There is also a day-and-month readout below the map, and a minutes readout above.
Each Geochron is assembled upon demand, with prices starting at above $1500. Ronald Reagan
presented a Geochron to Mikhail Gorbachev
in the 1980s as an "example of American ingenuity." The Smithsonian Institution
has called the Geochron the "last significant contribution in timekeeping."
After many years in the San Francisco Bay Area, Geochron Enterprises was sold and moved to Portland, OR to become Geochron, Inc. The product is still produced by hand and manufactured at the factory in Portland.
Geochron's Facebook
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. It is also the name of their flagship product, the Geochron Global Time Indicator. The Geochron was the first world clock
World clock
A world clock, often called a "Worldtime Clock", is a clock which displays the time for many places around the world.The display can take various forms:...
to display day and night on a world map, showing the familiar "bell curve" of light and darkness.
The Geochron employs an intricate analog clockwork mechanism for its display, that shows the month, date, day of the week, hours and minutes, the areas of the world currently experiencing day
Day
A day is a unit of time, commonly defined as an interval equal to 24 hours. It also can mean that portion of the full day during which a location is illuminated by the light of the sun...
and night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
, and the meridian passage of the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. The main display is dominated by a world map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
, with time zones prominently indicated. At the top of the map are arrows corresponding to each time zone
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
. As each day progresses, the map is scrolled to the left by gear mechanisms, and the arrows for each time zone shift their positions relative to a stationary band fixed at the top that has a horizontal series of numbers representing hours. The viewer may read the time by seeing what number his time zone's arrow is currently pointing to. The map is backlit, and a mechanism behind the map defines well-lit and shaded areas that are also stationary relative to the movement of the map. In this way, as time progresses, different areas are shown to be experiencing daytime and night. The center of the lit area lines up with the 12 noon
Noon
Noon is usually defined as 12 o'clock in the daytime. The word noon is also used informally to mean midday regarding the location of the sun not the middle of a persons day. Although this is a time around the middle of the day when people in many countries take a lunch break...
on the stationary time strip. There is also a day-and-month readout below the map, and a minutes readout above.
Each Geochron is assembled upon demand, with prices starting at above $1500. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
presented a Geochron to Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
in the 1980s as an "example of American ingenuity." The Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
has called the Geochron the "last significant contribution in timekeeping."
After many years in the San Francisco Bay Area, Geochron Enterprises was sold and moved to Portland, OR to become Geochron, Inc. The product is still produced by hand and manufactured at the factory in Portland.
External links
Geochron's Facebook