Hours By The Numbers

Today the world produces more than 1 billion timers in the year. Of these, about 60% accounted for by Japan. The most expensive watches – Swiss, so the Swiss company, giving the Japanese on the number of hours incurred on revenue significantly ahead of them.

Most were released hours – Quartz with arrows. The share of purely electronic clock with LCD indicator time low – about 10%. The world’s largest buyer of hours are the United States. They accounted for 15% of Swiss exports, 25% – Japanese and 26% – Hong Kong.

Aperture - a small hole (window) in the face of a clock, which provides a current indication of the date, day of week, etc.

Baguette – clockwork elongated rectangular shape, the way the cut gems in the form of a rectangle.

Balance - balance wheel with a spiral, forming oscillatory system, a countervailing movement shesterenochnogo clock mechanism.

Water resistance - the property of the shell to prevent moisture in the clock mechanism. The degree of water-resistant clock is usually set in meters or atmospheres. Immersion at 10 meters corresponds to an increase of pressure by one atmosphere. For the first time this feature was implemented by Rolex in 1926.

Guilloche - how to handle dials, which with the help of the engraving machines make a picture in the form of combination of simple and curved lines.

The annual calendar - a calendar clock device, which includes pointers date, day of week and month, and do not require adjustment, excluding 29 February each leap year.

Bicolor hours - a term used to denote the clock case and bracelet are made of a combination of the gold coating, PVD or gold and stainless steel (with PVD – ion sputtering, more stable than any other type of coating).

Factory hours - an operation which consists in twisting the main (crown) spring hours. This operation can be carried out in two classic ways – manually or automatically. With manual winding twists with the crown hours. The automatic plant uses a special form of the rotor that converts the rotational energy in the energy needed to twist the main spring.

Crown – detail of the watch is used for factory hours and correction of the time and date. Cruising range of mechanical watches – the ability of the clock mechanism to continue normal operation during a certain time without factory mainspring. Cruising is fully wound watch is usually 36 – 46 hours.

Power reserve indicator – an indicator in the form of additional sector on the dial, showing the degree of factory mainspring of mechanical watches. It shows the time remaining before stopping the clock, either in absolute units – hours and days, or relative.

Moon phase indicator – dial graduated in 29 days and a rotating indicator, which shows the moon. Each time the indicator shows the current phase of the moon.

Cabochon - a way to cut gems in the form of a hemisphere. Typically, cabochons are used to decorate the crown and ushkah mounts bracelet or strap to the body clock.

What - in the simplest case, there is a clock in the form of aperture (window), which displays the current date. More complex devices show the date, day of week and months. The most difficult are perpetual calendar, which indicate the year, including leap year. Perpetual Calendar does not require the intervention of the owner to adjust the dates of the month, even in a leap year and are usually programmed to 100-250 years.

Caliber - a term used to describe the size and type of clockwork. Typically, the caliber number corresponds to-out mechanism, measured in lines, and some firms is simply a set of symbols to designate a particular model.

Stones – a term used to refer to watch parts, made of rubies, sapphires or garnets, both synthetic and natural, which are used to reduce friction between metal parts.

Line - the traditional measure of the size of the clock mechanism, which is equal to 2.255mm.

Bridge – A curved piece of clockwork, serves to consolidate the pillars of the axes watch gears. The name of the bridge corresponds to the name of the gear.

Shock - consists of a special mobile towers, which are attached to thin part of the balance. The movable support is arranged in such a way that the axial or side impact, the axis of balance is shifted upward or sideways and rests on the guides to their thickened parts, protecting the delicate parts of the axis of breakage or bending (incabloc).

Repassazh - full repair mechanism hours.

Repeater - complex mechanical watches, with an additional mechanism for indicating the time with the sounds of different pitch. Typically, such a watch, by pressing a special button, beat the clock, quarter hour and minute. In the models, Grand Sonnerie hours and minutes kicking automatically, but can indicate the time and when you press the button.Reference – the number of hours the catalog.

Retail – suggested retail price.

Rotor – poludisk of heavy metal, freely rotating around the axis of hours, which by reversing device converts the energy of their two-way rotation of the energy needed for the factory springs.

Secunda - the basic unit of time, component 1/86000-uyu part of the solar day, ie circulation time of the Earth around its axis. With the emergence after the Second World War, atomic clocks, it was found that the Earth rotates with an infinitely small irregularities. It was therefore decided to reinstall the standard-measuring seconds. This was done at the 13th General Conference of Weights and Measures in 1967. It has been determined as follows: “seconds” – a period of time equal to 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation of the cesium atom-133.pri transition between two neighboring stable levels.Skeleton - watches with a transparent dial and back cover, through which the visible mechanism. Details of the mechanisms of such clocks decorated with hand-engraved cover precious metals, sometimes decorated with precious stones.

A spiral or filament – a thin spiral spring, fixed at the inner end of the axis of balance, and external to the block. The number of turns carrying the helix is usually 11 or 13.

Spiral Breguet – spiral, the inner and outer ends of which are curved so that the period of oscillation of the balance-helix does not depend on the amplitude of oscillations (isochronism system). The invention made by Abraham Louis Breguet.

Split Chronograph - watch with a stopwatch, with the function of the intermediate finish.

Tachymeter - a scale to measure the average speed (in kilometers per hour) on a fixed track segment.

Tonne – a form of the watch, which resembles a barrel.

Tourbillon - a mechanism that compensates for the influence of gravity of the Earth on the accuracy of the clock

Chronograph – watch with a stopwatch and cumulative schetchikami.Predstavlyaet an anchor mechanism is placed inside a mobile platform with the balance in the center, and makes a complete revolution around its own axis in one minute. Invented in 1795 by Abraham Louis Breguet (ALBreguet). Patented in 1801.

Ultra-thin watches - watches with the thickness of the mechanism from 1.5 to 3.0 mm, to minimize the thickness of the clock.

Oyster - a way to double sealing mechanism clock that protects it from external influences.

Chronograph – watch with two independent measuring systems: one shows the current time, the other measures brief intervals of time. Counter registers for seconds, minutes and hours and can be switched on or off at will. Central second hand of clock is normally used as stopwatch second hand.

Chronometer - extremely accurate clocks, the last series of tests for accuracy and received certificates. Accuracy of the chronometers are only a few seconds per day when used in normal temperature conditions.

Three months later, at the exhibition, Simon Bronnikov impressed contemporaries. He presented no “something”, and correctly counting down the minutes, by my own hands miniature clock (a rarity in those days), made of wood – the first time in the history of watch making. They bought the heir to the throne, the future Czar Alexander II.

So Semyon Bronnikov, founder of the dynasty watchmakers, has successfully completed the first draft and started producing strange hours. He exhibited his original products at numerous exhibitions, professional skills and gave them to her children.

High Skill inherited two of the seven sons of Seeds – Nicholas and Michael, and grandson – Nikolai Mikhailovich. More than 70 years, there it Bronnikov. Each execution of a clock, each mechanism, were unique, although similar, and had no analogues in the world folk art.

Bronnikov labored over for hours and together and separately. When creating unique mechanisms masters used different woods: walnut, honeysuckle, palm, seasoned bamboo. In separate mechanisms they have established no palm, and a metal spring – for a lifetime. Watch case and special cases for storage Bronnikova made of kapa, and the dial is decorated with inlays of mother of pearl and bone. Some clocks were made of ivory, almost completely.

From St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities Bronnikov received orders, often by the dozen. Products, whose diameter was 3 – 4 inches, worth more than gold. Indeed, the watches Bronnikova could not compete with the more reliable and accurate clock from the metal, they are used more as an expensive and rare gifts.

Pocket watches Bronnikov and still admired. Of the approximately 500 works of these talented Russian artists saved nearly half. Location of some of them – Armory of the Kremlin, the Hermitage, Russian Museum, Technical Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, State Historical Museum, the Angarsk Museum hours, as well as local museums and other museums in Russia and abroad. Watches by talented family Bronnikov and have lived so far, are in private collections around the world.

Passion collectors:

Indeed, the important and often very interesting are the fates, especially history of each of these hours: from how and by whom they were created (whether prince’s watch companies or unknown artist, who built their own miniature structures in single copies), and ending with those who were their owner. Here it is appropriate to recall that increased attention to the fans of the old mechanical clock is largely due to the traditional identification of these chronometric devices with certain living creatures: after all, without exception, they are endowed by brittle, knocking our hearts.

Mechanisms of old clocks are extremely complex. Introducing a product worthy of the attention of generations, these “moving images of the fixed eternity” can consist of dozens of handmade items. In such models may be present, various additional functions, such as, for example, repeater – a special mechanism designed to display the time with the sounds of different pitch, Moon phase indicator – built-in calendar device, or a tourbillion – a full circle around its own axis escapement mechanism invented to be able to compensate the influence of gravity of the Earth on the accuracy of the clock.

Along with this, it might be sufficient and some exclusive exterior design, to admiring the clock as well as paintings by great artists, you could call these creations of past centuries, a truly magnificent: the grandeur, richness of decoration and a refined decorative style in which the conditioned case and dial hours, to cause admiration and curiosity of the public. Clearest example of this – the so-called “erotic” clock, which belongs not only niche in the collections of a very entertaining old mechanics, but the laurels of primacy among the objects of special pride of collectors.

“Live” images:

It is no secret that the birth of timekeeping, and accordingly – and appearance in the world of mechanical watches we must, first of all, the brave and the insatiable desire of man to curb the unfathomable and fascinating material on behalf of Time. However, in this case (which is not surprising in an era of Gothic architecture), the first mechanical clocks, namely, the tower served mostly despised reminder of the finiteness of life: they are decorated, as a rule, the images in a spirit of sorrow and grief, intimidating and frightening images of their sculptures. Besides these first, city, clock, both belonging to everyone and anyone, exposing time as a “public domain”.

Toward the XII century. this situation has changed. Due to the watchmaker, who for centuries, step by step following the scientific discoveries, were engaged in the improvement and modification of mechanical measuring time, gradually began to receive distribution of pocket watches. In other words, it has become possible to finally did “personalize”.

The aristocracy, who could only afford the luxury of that time as a clock, more and more fascinated by the idea of searching for a consolation in the fact that sins may be, and shorten life, but make it more attractive and more diverse. In an atmosphere of new whims, caprices and the pursuit of knowledge still unknown pleasures, it was entirely logical appearance in aristocratic circles craze erotic miniatures, considered the height of outrageous and eccentric.

Initially, the tiny images gusts of passion carried out, usually in the form of enamel painting: until the end of the XVII century admirer of such fashion trends have to be satisfied with pictures – on the caskets, snuff-boxes, and finally, pocket watches, which placed these should tend to reverse hand, the rear cover. Introduction of “revival” in the subjects followed along with the advent of the light mechanism minute repeater: invention of a system of his percussion hammers possible to find a way to move the little characters – zhakemary. Those involved in the mechanism of action figures, moving in time with the beating of time, have become widely used in hours, introducing gaze “living” in rural, urban and, of course, erotic scenes. This period is considered to be the initial step in the history of “erotic” hours.

Demand creates indecent proposal:

In the XVIII century. in the largest countries in Europe came the flowering time of production: cabinetmakers, smelters, engravers, goldsmiths, and mechanics were working on might and main manufacturing floor, wall, desktop and pocket watches, and the subject of collecting almost all of the European aristocracy was an erotic art. “Frivolous” watches produced at the time mainly in England, France and Geneva, immediately won a stunning popularity.

At the end of the XVIII century. trade “frivolous” clock prospered between the two cities – Geneva, which had a watch factory and workshops for the creation of enamel miniatures and complicated mechanisms, and London. It is known that in England “erotic” hours were a prelude to amorous conversation with the ladies, and a game called “conversation hour”. In Geneva, these watches have become so commonplace phenomenon that they gave to each other family, they were part of a wedding gift the bride. However, such traditions were quickly condemned by the Anglican Church of Puritan Calvin.

The last straw that broke the patience of the church authorities, was the fact that the clock with erotic miniatures became popular and some priests, monks and nuns. And in 1817 in Geneva, where Calvinism flourished, was issued a ban on the release of “shameful” hours. Trade them was banned, watches confiscated and even destroyed en masse. Nevertheless, after the war in China and the looting of the Summer Palace in Beijing in 1911, Europeans have been re-purchased and imported to Europe, a large number of “erotic” hours.

For example, in 1950, became famous for an extensive collection of well-known collector of miniature of King Farouk of works of art, which occupies a special place enameled watches 1780 – 1820. depicting erotic scenes are equipped with musical instruments and complex machines. Or, for example, “erotic” treasures actor Michel Simon, sold in 1977 at the largest hourly auction “Antikvorum” in Geneva.

The popularity of them over the years continued unabated, and it clearly demonstrates to us not only museum pieces, many world auction lots, constantly acquainting us with old clocks from private collections, as well as details of their biographies.

One can not deny that often it is done in order to enhance the prestige of the company , this workshop . In the world of watchmaking has been created many well-known species of special hours . The most successful were repeated in a somewhat modified form countless times , many of them were later produced and en masse , while others were unique specimens and become part of private and museum collections , or have completely disappeared.

For less than the conventional design of mechanical watches are the so-called gravitational clock , features and essence of which is to use the weight mechanism for driving the same mechanism , so that they do not have weights or springs . The drive under its own weight can be achieved in many ways , but because there are many types of such gravity hours .

The first is relatively simple gravitational clock appeared in the middle of the XV century. in Burgundy (France ), of whom later , in the early XVII century . evolved known sawtooth clock . Burgundy gravitational clock shaped like a ball , which placed the entire clock mechanism . Springs replaced the drum with a small flat wound on a string , to which the mechanism was freely suspended . After the recent unwinding of coils with drum clock hand moved up slightly upward, to its original position. The spring is in the cavity of the drum re- wound string on its surface .

Original gravity clock built Lyons nobleman Nicolas Groll de Servier (1593 … 1686 ). The main part of the clock was a vertical spiral track consisting of two parallel wires on them moving down a steel ball , which is a special lifting mechanism then returned back to the top of the track. The impetus for the creation of such a watch was Galileo’s discovery that each body of spherical shape is the same way on an inclined plane for the same time. As for passing the ball through the bottom outlet of its trajectory have attached a simple counter , the old physical benefits become a chronometric instruments .

Groll was not , of course , the first to use the specified discovery of Galileo. During his service in the Austrian army , he had the opportunity to become acquainted with the work of the Royal watchmakers who worked in the Prague Castle Rudolf II. For example , here are ball and watch Christopher Margrave . Under the influence of Margrave built ball clock not only Groll , and at the end of XVI century . clocks are built and Hans Shlotthaym .

His ” Babel ” tower at 112 cm of gilded bronze with allegorical figures in the galleries belonged since 1603 to the most valuable and the most remarkable subjects of the Dresden Palace. Hours Shlotthayma had an unusual ball control and were technically very difficult (they were equipped with a built-in signaling mechanisms with flutes , equipped with clever cinematic elements, synchronizing the movement of allegorical figures with this mechanism ).

Alternatively, ball clock was a clock created in 1808 stamping . Like its predecessors , it enabled the steel ball to move along curved trajectories, established at this time in a flat walled brass plate installed in an inclined position. When the ball reaches the end of its trajectory, a special mechanism , coupled with a counter chronometric mechanism , altering the slope of the board so that the ball came back the same route in the opposite direction. The principle of stamping a liking to many , so it abroad and now is used in different ways. Depending on the embodiment of the time interval between two successive rotations of plates ranging from 12.5 to 30 seconds.

sometimes called secret watch the hours in which the clock mechanism somewhere deliberately hidden or concealed his connection to the indicator of time . Sometimes it is a special connection between the drain and the oscillator or the unusual shape of the drive. Similar attempts to compete with this idea is not new. For the ” secret “should be considered and ball clocks Margrave or devices made by his followers .

Incomprehensible principle of such hours have always attracted the attention of fans and a favorable effect on sales of hours of this kind . Therefore, many kinds of hours having it in the XIX and early XX century. when it was required to revive the interest in competitive markets to the products of the normal level .

In the pocket watch of this type established in the early 80 – ies , in a transparent glass dial placed two glass disk with fine teeth on the periphery . Each of the circles is at its center a single arrow. Tribe on the output shaft of the small clock mechanism, squeezed into the top of the bush under the crown, which transmits motion to the arrow.

The fashion for miniature clocks quickly spread throughout Western Europe . In Paris , London , Augsburg, Amsterdam , Brussels , The Hague and in other cities grew watch making , which produces the most diverse forms of spring hours for current needs and as jewelry. Among the first producers of such clocks is a watchmaker and Czech Jakub shop ( Czech) , supposedly the son of John Rouge, one of the founders of the Prague’s astronomical clock , which in his studio at Platnerskoy street at the Old Town of Prague manufactured iron clock with a spring -driven , with a brass cylinder Corps. The initial state is preserved until now one copy of his watch , made in 1525 , located in London’s Museum of Antiquities . Another instance of hours of the same period is in the collections of the Museum of Applied Industrial Arts in Prague.

During the Thirty Years’ War slowed the further development of the average time crafts , but it is less affected countries in Western Europe . Manufacturing small hours , which began in Blois ( France), quickly spread to cities such as Paris , Lyon , Dijon , Grenoble , Rouen , etc. At the beginning of XVII century. French -hour production was at such a high level that it had no competitors. Since it could not even match the English -hour production , despite the fact that it was at that time could boast of a number of workshops work best watchmakers , while concentrating near London .

In the case of small production hours joined and Switzerland, which is now considered to be a great time power, although it does not apply because the countries that have the oldest tradition of watchmaking . Despite the fact that in some Swiss cantons , particularly in Geneva and its environs, the first watchmakers settled there in the first half : XVI century. , the full development of the Swiss watchmaking craft came only at the end of the XVII century .

This recovery time fishing in Switzerland greatly obliged and religious persecution in France, where , especially from Blois, the center of French Protestants , settled on the basis of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 abroad , many watchmakers. Most of them settled in Switzerland , where they are not persecuted for their faith. If throughout the production of large clock was the work of fitters and gunsmiths, the small hours began to produce mainly goldsmith , together with watchmakers .

In the work were then drawn and women who were assigned subtle carvings and engraving works , the production group leaders filigree steel chains for power transmission between the drum springs and curl control , etc. In 1701 Switzerland had issued an order prohibiting foreigners from working in the field of time fishing. At the same time, watchmakers can do their job outside the city gates only when they are following the exit of the city is reclaiming its apprentices and when they pledged not to teach their children the guard craft.

In the XVIII century . when the Swiss watch production reached the level of industrial production with the division of artisanal work, there about 1760 , only one worked more than 800 Geneva watchmakers . At that time , many watchmakers have ceased to label their products their name , city or date of manufacture and , as was previously customary for artisanal products.

The clock on the first commercial brands . According to new methods of work production hours split into several distinct phases – making the trigger mechanism, transmission mechanism and case. Watchmaker , who now specialize in the production of certain components , gave its products to the assembly , in which they simultaneously performed finishing work on the gear parts.

Then they withdrew their details , they drilled holes for the poles , for the arrows attached dials , etc. Mounted part again dismantled and subjected to final finishing of their surfaces , ie gilding and polishing . In the production of portable clock , which had engaged in individual production groups , now attended by many small watchmakers.

The gradual unification of the watchmakers , craftsmen under the commercial brand of the leading companies continually increased the requirements to improve the accuracy of details , which manufactured hand that was provided by private, technically poorly -equipped small workshops. All this certainly increased the level of the local time fishing , which was the first in Europe moved from the beginning of XIX century . the outdated and labor-intensive manual production to semi-automatic production , and then fully automated production of commercial goods .

Not all Swiss watchmaking XVII and XVIII centuries . have been equipped so that they can produce complete clockwork . The division of labor in watchmaking in the production process depended on the professional level of masters and apprentices and the technical equipment of the workshop, which usually was then quite weak , because most he needed supplies and tools , each watchmaker then manufactured for himself.

Method of production of some part of the watch , especially gears, tribes, parts of the trigger mechanism , etc. , was very difficult. Long before the emergence of engineering industry , built on modern methods of metal cutting, watchmakers are facing a similar problem in the manufacture of small or even tiny details. Therefore, already in the XVII and XVIII centuries . Watchmakers were built ingeniously solved by turning and milling machines, on the principle of which were later , more than 100 years , based first major metalworking Modsleya , Roberts , Whitworth and others

For some time the workshops manufacturing such devices were too expensive, and so they produced only the simplest parts of machines , while all the rest , including bushings , dials , switches , springs, hair , etc., they are ready to buy . Jewellery shops specializing in the production of sleeves , they sold their products a wide range of watchmakers , often living far outside the country . This may explain the similarity of form, or nearly complete similarity hours, issued under the name of their end- producers, whose own work in the production of these hours is only a small fraction of the labor to build those hours.

If we intend to trace the shape and style of buildings small hours , then we must begin with the cylinder spring hours , which began producing in the XVI century. Henlein Nuremberg and Prague workshop. In the second half of the XVI century . came a significant miniaturization of hours with ovoid case. They were single-needle , made of iron and had carved and engraved brass cases and ornaments decorated with Roman dials with steel arrows. Before you dial, instead of glass were hinged metal lids , decorated appropriately , with holes for direct timing . Such cases are oval root in the late XVI century . and in France.

Along with brass , some watchmakers have used polished crystal . With glaziers and engravers are made of this material luxury transparent cases , beautifully engraved and polished . This technique is particularly distinguished by the Geneva engravers and goldsmiths . However, the main material here remains brass , sometimes sanitized surface gilding or silvering . Since the second half of XVII century. systematically increased ruggedness forms of carrying cases that in the XVIII century . resulted in the production of suspensorial hours of the most diverse forms in the form of crosses, skulls , musical instruments , birds, animals , flowers , books, vessels, wheels, etc.

A similar way , we find not only against casings , but also ornamental elements , engraved and relief , not only on buildings but also on the dial . Goldsmiths , watchmakers and artists , carpenters even worked , guided by the collections of samples of ornaments , produced , for example , Hogarth, Chipendalem , Sheraton and Adam. The most popular among watchmakers enjoyed the author of such collections of Anton Jacquard Puantera .

Separate kind of ornamental clock-case technique was the enamel stoving . In essence, this was not something new , because the glaze has been known for a long time in France , Germany , Holland , Switzerland , and the first half of XVII century. – partly in England . Here, the priority was France and its artists from Blois, headed by the famous brothers Huodo . The enamel on composition is a quartz material , essentially , glass, coated in molten form to a clean metal surface – a gold or copper , and occasionally on the brass . Enamel can, of course , and iron and bronze objects . The Arabs already in the XIII century . decorated lacquer hot annealing glass bulb lamps mosques .

The oldest technique of enamel stoving , used for the clock-case , called in the special terminology ” champleve (champleve). It is lacquer stoving different colors in the grooves engraved on the metal surface. After annealing in the furnace is formed on the entire surface of the solid glass coating. Enamel decorated cases and dials .

Somewhat different method , suitable only for carrying cases , was the so-called ” cloisonne »(cloisonne), which differs from ” champleve ” method of preparing a metal base . Cells were established under the lacquer is not engraved, but to be prepared folding of thin metal strips in the desired pattern . At the end of XIX century . enjoyed great popularity method ” paillonn (paillonne) – fusing gold foil in the paint .

The visible part of the Dial plate around the ring decorated with engraved ornaments or cast brass relief applications , located primarily in the corners of the dial . This type of dial almost prevailed before the XVIII century . when it was gradually replaced by enamel dial .

By about 1780 became fashionable lacquered iron dials . We often find them at cheap fully iron wall clock with pictures of birds, with curly biblical motifs , etc. Painted dials were also some outdoor wall clock . Size dials gradually increased . Around 1725 added to the square Dial plate shield in the form of a round segment which is gradually increased to a semicircle. In the shield watchmakers invested , in addition to the ornamental elements, different scales to activate and deactivate the mechanism of battle, to select the songs playing mechanism , calendar , and various astronomical dials or shaped elements automaton mechanism .

Ring- dial , attached to the main Dial plate , already found in some Renaissance hours , but almost always it is a British lamp hours . These dials under the Roman numerals found engraved narrow scale , divided in 48 parts , dividing the interval of every hour for four equal parts . In Roman scales used , as a rule , for the fourth hour symbol IIII, rather than IV. The reason was, apparently, something that looks more aesthetically IIII .

With a pendulum clock came into timekeeping increased accuracy of time measurement , and with that came and the minute hand on the dial. For this special arrow made and the minute scale , located on the outer circumference of the old time scale . To indicate the five-minute intervals on this scale at first were just Arabic numerals, which have smaller dials were for reasons of economy of space directly part of the scale , and have great hours of vygravirovyvali or painted over the time scale .

In hours of the second half of XVIII century. minute numbers were sometimes so large that the size they hardly differed from the time digits . I painted dials and the clock provincial masters minute scale is sometimes simplified to 60 points , applied directly to the clockwise direction.

The clock the second half of XVIII century. increasingly began to meet the third , second hand, and the clock with seconds pendulum and anchor drain this arrow was worn directly on the elongated shaft trigger wheel . This also caused her eccentric position at the top or bottom of the dial . Older seconds dials have the designation 10, 20 , 30 … 60, and later, on the contrary, 15, 20 , 45, 60.

Interesting changes in the shape of arrows. In single-needle clockwise to put on a four-sided clock tree , and to facilitate the turning of their hand , they were at the opposite end of the elongated spout or support for the finger .

In the second half of XVIII century. when the clock began to meet more often can type silver or silver dials , watchmakers began to make the hour and minute hands of the same shape but differ in magnitude. Unlike the former, only the steel arrows are now cut the arrow from forged brass sheet . From the original complex form of arrows watchmakers later returned again to the simple arrows , which also caught on most watches .

Several unusual dial had standing or wall pendulum clock with a descent Gragama that are produced from the beginning of XVIII century. until the end of XIX century . They were intended for the observatory , and for different industries , operating with a precise time, and, finally , for large watch making , where on them to monitor and regulate all new or refurbished watches.

The main central dial scale regulatory clock was a big minute scale with Arabic numerals 5, 10 , 15 and 60 , meaning five-minute intervals. In the central square of the indices were small seconds and time scale . Rather than watch the dial some of these clocks have a digital dial in the form of a circular disk located behind the window in the Dial plate .

Around the middle of the XVIII century. came the first watch with a central second hand . Most unbalanced second hand on a vertical dial very adversely affect the accuracy of the clock , but because Watchmakers soon changed its shape so that it does not turn . slowed and accelerated the progress of the mechanism. This issue has also arisen from the tower clock , whose hands were balanced with the addition of material to elongate the opposite shoulder or through special cargo suspended beneath the dial on the lever connected to the hour and minute shafts.

This height hovering around 270 , see old clock were much lower , ie had a height of only about 180 cm, because their mechanisms were still spindle down , and the large amplitude is not allowed to use the long pendulum . With the introduction of the anchor , and various other triggers , such as double-wishbone , was applied for near-wall clock seconds pendulum , which required a high cabinet.

Indication of age floor of wall clock can be architecture of their cabinets , although it is in the XIX century . Some manufacturers have borrowed or imitated hours old elements of style floor hours earlier period . For the oldest period of wall clock characterized by a smooth slim cabinet with a broad base and upper cabinets ( alfalfa ) for the mechanism of metal with a glass dial, located under a canopy in the form of a tripartite panel. The middle part of the cabinet , creating space for the pendulum, was framed with panels. The surface of a cabinet impregnated with oil and had the color of ebony wood.

Attached dome shape of alfalfa was replaced before the 1700 smooth surface , sometimes decorated with wavy patterns . Wood Carving has been applied across the top of the box . The vaulted dome of a long-case clock came about around 1700, and a quarter of a century later, a simple square plate dial into a dial with a semi-circular shield .

This new form of indices simultaneously adapted and the dome of the box, and the door dial with protective glass . Since the second half of XVIII century . began to build a clock with domed pagoda . For the last few years the XVIII century . typical form of sheath hours was dismembered cupboard with carved side columns in its upper part and with carved wooden floral ornaments . However, these decorative elements can be found and a case clock XIX century . when commercial considerations have to combine different styles.

Base units of wall clock was mostly a creation of artist- carpenter , and bore the features of the furniture of this era . With the emergence of veneering furniture manufacturers began to make cabinets hours hours of narrow strips of ebony , which they pasted on oak base (sometimes replaced by painted plywood). Carefully chosen structure of the wood used , the orientation of its image , and all that differently combined. In this regard, became particularly popular in olive wood and walnut . Even before 1700 , some woodworkers have mastered the technique preseeding – ORNAMENTATION wood. These were the first corner zvezdovidnye or fan- ornaments , composed of segments of yellow boxwood wood or ivory and ebony black elements .

For the XVIII century . characteristic was inlaid hardwood box with a floral or figural ornamentation . Along with inlaid were distributed in the first half of XVIII century. lacquered cabinets, built up on the old British Engineering XVI century . Oriental decorative items , preserved in some of these guards cabinets , imported from Japan, suggest that there was an outstanding level of manufacturing enclosures for hours. Some European watchmakers end of XVII century. made even sent in their wooden cabinets or their parts for painting over many thousands of kilometers to the Far East.

In the 20 -ies of the XVIII century . for the manufacture of cases for hours affected the import of precious woods , especially mahogany. Properties of red wood – strength , consistency forms , a variety of colors – all made mahogany considerably more valuable objects than walnut wood, which until then was valued above all other wood species. Particularly valuable was considered mahogany , imported from the West Indies , suitable for immediate use . As the popularity of this red tree should have a better Cuban mahogany , mahogany from Honduras , which often occurs as a liner under the Cuban plywood .

On the European continent was particularly common oak – a good and relatively cheap material , suitable not only for the time frames cabinets , but as plywood . Walnut , tsesminovoy boxwood or sometimes wood veneer face casings hours. Cheap standing desk clock , which produced the provincial watchmakers have cases of soft wood with a pattern simulating the structure of marble . English watchmakers Yorkshire and Lancashire is famous for its flat- standing clock in mahogany with a powerful lamp, equipped with a large painted dial and a semi-circular shield.

The original hallmarks of the Gothic hours were simplicity , efficiency , relative ease of construction with an open frame frame without decorations or , later , with decorative elements . Drive the load ( a weight ) is determined not only the shape of hours , but their location – elevated position , necessary to achieve the best possible long course . Wall clock with weights were popular , and later, when it was introduced spring actuator .

By about 1600 appeared in the British watch making so -called alfalfa first iron wall clock , and soon bronze and brass . The name of the clock as if it was caused by the shape of their body ( they were like the old candle lights ), but for a different version of their name originates from the word ” laktten “which then meant ” brass ” . Frame alfalfa hours formed a massive two horizontal plates connected by four corner columns , usually circular . Then the wall with hinged ear visited steel , and removable side doors are usually brass .

The front of the closing hours of dial with a carved steel hands and Roman numerals, engraved in the ring- mezhdukruzhe . The inner metal surface indices , forms the main Dial plate , usually decorated with engraved figures or floral patterns. On the cross forceps , fixed above mechanism, the heads with angular columns frames typically hung powerful bronze bell .

The bottom round bells filled the carved and engraved items , covering a large round horizontal balance, located above the upper plate frames . Old alfalfa clock production of the first half of XVII century. had a spindle down with double-arm balance , exercising the role bilyantsa . In the second half of the same century , this balance began to give way to shorter the pendulum , is ahead of the dial. Most of these alfalfa hours were in the back of the vehicle for another mechanism of the battle with locking wheel. Both mechanisms were given weights , hanging on the ropes, and later – in chains .

Up until the end of the XVII century . alfalfa clock had only clockwise. Dvuhstrelochnye alfalfa clock began to produce only in the XVIII century . and at the same time began to remake the old single-needle dvuhstrelochnye hours . The smaller of these arrows with a circular hole is made at the beginning of the XVIII century . when there was already friction coupling to facilitate the rotation of the arrow , regardless of the mechanism , and in such a form in which even now is an arrow from the wall and table clocks . Despite the fact that alfalfa clock is propelled solely by weights, they can be hung on the wall or put on the table . Together with hanging earring and two support rods at the back iron plate at such hours were four decorative shaped legs in order that they can be put on the table.

In addition to iron Gothic hours a recognized form, is often situated on wall brackets , and alfalfa hours , one of the oldest types of clocks and watches are in the form of plates. Their first copies appeared in Germany very early, at the end of XVI century . Their name has happened to the characteristic appearance of round, like a plate, dial. The mechanism of such clocks had spindle descent with a short pendulum to dial. During the XVIII century. was built many such riveted , carved or painted a different kind of clock .

Setting the clock on the wall console belongs to the Gothic era . Then the clock is propelled solely by a weight , and therefore played a great bracket functional role . Several other value bracket acquired later – about the middle of the XVIII century . when in France spread to other European countries the construction of the console wall clock with a spring drive . Wooden console has become an integral part of the watch and made out with him in the same sense of style and ornament.

The greatest perfection , and the largest fine of wealth reached the French ” kick ” (” pendulum “) , so called because clearly seen in the constricted and then expanding the bottom of the glass body of the pendulum . The prevalence of different elements and metal appliques adorning the watch case and created a spectacular ensemble , which can be used either as a wall clock or by removing the console as a desktop clock .

Under Louis XV and Louis XVI of France appeared on the fashion wall ” cartel ” watch . They are sophisticated in form , decorated with leaf ornament body originally cast in bronze by then gilded . On Czechoslovak soil in this type of clock there were elements of classical style and elements of the rococo, then the expensive metal casting of steel to replace wood carvings , artistic value of which was not less .

In the second half of XVIII century . in the heyday of interest in figure booths and playing hours , a new version of the wall clock , clock movement which is usually inserted into artistically painted composition with landscape or architectural themes, inscribed in gilded frame. Of the “big picture clock ” a little later , at the beginning of XIX century. evolved frame clock stereotypical patterns . The most significant and most expensive part of the clock was ticking along with a gilded frame in the style of Biedermeier or late Rococo.

The most common and most late type of wall clocks were called ” pendelovki ” (” pendulum ” clock ) , which were produced mainly in Austria in the late XVIII century. and the beginning of XIX century. Austrian watchmakers started from a tetrahedral rectangular glass-fronted building , decorated with carved ornaments , while the model for similar hours of American origin were more complex line shape of some musical instruments – banjo, dulcimer , etc. Wall clocks , too, have many options. The most interesting of them was a clock , which differ mainly in the appearance of their buildings, but the hours differ and technical characteristics, influence the configuration of their body .

In the XVI century. , in the heyday of the Renaissance in Central Europe , a large popular desktop clock with a spring -driven , embedded in a closed box with carved and engraved ornaments. They began to produce the new material for that time – brass and bronze , which are approximately half of the XVI century. began in watchmaking familiar materials due to their outstanding qualities in terms of cutters and engravers . Good experience with the production of brass and bronze boxes for watches watchmakers led to the idea of replacing some parts of the mechanism of hours being worked previously entirely of iron , brass and bronze details .

This primarily refers to the gears , drum to the springs, snails , etc. Brass, which is easy to work and strong, and proved to be valuable in terms of improved aesthetic appearance of the clock , and it is inextricably connected hour technique with artistic activity, attracting the participation in the production of hours of many goldsmiths , engravers , engravers , painters .

One of the most characteristic features of desktop clock XVI and XVII centuries . were relatively slender rectangular or hexagonal body with a metal bell at the top. Typically, the surface of these shells decorated engraved , carved , flat or relief pattern , often figured . Inboard mechanisms solved when the two possible ways . In the first method based mechanism was bunk frame with undercarriage mechanism in the upper part and the mechanism of the battle at the bottom .

These parts were divided platinum with holes for the pins vertical axes of both mechanisms . Describe the type of clock with vertical axes and bunk frame is typical for the early hours of the French , whose production was then concentrated in yuzhnofrantsuzskoy area around Blois , in the late XVI century . – And for the Swiss and Italian hours.

Another type of clock time , maybe even younger , but who enjoyed great popularity even in the subsequent period of early baroque were the so- called clock tower . They appeared in the second half of XVI – early XVII century. of time points in Augsburg and Nuremberg. They are distinguished by a remarkable harmony of the mechanical properties with characteristic architectural elements of Renaissance and early Baroque . These yuzhnogermanskie hours long influenced watchmaking throughout Central Europe. They had a frame with vertical angle columns, fixed on the top and bottom plates. Rollers and mechanism of the battle were placed one after another in the same plane.

As the French clock here at the top of the tower-shaped hull was space for the bell , suspended or on the carved arm guide assembly crossed forceps, or by being back on a special bracket. Some of the most beautiful tower clock , built in 1549 in Prague clockmaker Hanus Shgeynmeysselem are even now part of the collection of Industrial Arts Museum in Prague. They are rare surviving evidence of high -level Czech watchmaking in the period preceding the era of Rudolph.

The tower clock is often characterized by high artistic treatment, but also a high technical level . In addition to the normal mechanisms , they sometimes have special dials to measure the stellar and solar time , to observe the phases of the moon, had the scale for the image of the sun and moon in the zodiac calendar , and various dials . The motion of the planets , some watchmakers play even non-circular elliptical gear mechanism.

From those days of workshops Augsburg watchmakers out as excellent copies of graphic clock with moving figures of musicians, ancient gods , warriors , or different animals – lions, elephants, parrots , etc. Complexity of these machines , the builders who dare to use to display the time along with the classic single-needle dials various rotary dials for the cylindrical or spherical surfaces, independent of the functional diagram of the kinematic mechanisms , are often extremely complex .

For example , such a watch as a stroller with a pair or four horses moved in beating hours on the table , while simultaneously moving all the pieces that were in a wheelchair. No less difficult was shaped mechanism in the other hours , for example in the form of a boat. Most of these desktop automatic watches , made of bronze, brass or wood and metal at the same time , reached a significant size . Their length ranged from 60 to 90 cm blocks of the clock there were still dudochnye or bell musical arrangements, the progress which has been synchronized with the clock mechanism .

Application of moving figures , of course, in a simplified scheme , without complex automation, continued in a later time . French or Viennese table clock with cast bronze and gilt figural plastic XVIII century. mock biblical figures or scenes from ancient mythology . In the XIX century. These motifs have given way to romantic scenes, especially the so- called ” hours “On Sauvage »(aux sauvages), decorated with figures of blacks, Indians , etc. With a tradition shaped automaton hours XVI and XVII centuries. were related to hours with allegorical motifs , for these hours were characterized by a combination mechanism of battle with shaped mechanism .

The second half of XIX century . reflected on the architecture of the clock-case and boxes repetition of elements of previous styles, flowing into pseudo- stylistic imitation with pronounced elements of Renaissance and Rococo. Only in the late XIX century. began again to dominate stylistic consistency , accompanied by features of the creative expressions and individual artistic inventiveness .

With the advent of the Baroque entered horology especially new forms of the watch. The increasing influence of the church was manifested in the use of symbols of Christianity , and particularly popular watches in the form of a cross or pyx .

These clocks, produced in the late XVI century . and in the first three decades of the XVII century . cast bronze , were cases decorated with carved or cast ornament. In these hours clockwork often be combined with astrolabes. In the second half of XVII century. appeared kurantnye clock with transparent dials , lit in the evening lamps or candles .

At the beginning of XVIII century. England began to export to Europe table ” tabernaklovye ” watch. In France, the likeness of those hours were so -called religiezy (somewhat reminiscent of his appearance facades of churches ) , a case of such a watch was rectangular , glass-enclosed , often ending a mansard roof over the dial . These clocks were usually carrying handle them . Dial plate , decorated with riveted ornament , supplied with a semi-circular shield for the shooter battle , sometimes it was different and calendar data . These watches have become very popular in Europe ( their yuzhnogermanskaya modification is known as the ” old Germanic clock “) .

The group dockside hours is a lot of types of desktop clock . The largest category of them form a cylinder clock , most of which simply consist of a supporting frame with a wooden or bronze case and a pair or quartet bearing support columns . Stained wood surface cylinder clock was ousted in the 20- ies of XIX century. black lacquer , fine, elegant shape alabaster columns were replaced in the Biedermeier much more massive profiles .

The main and almost the only material clock , especially in the early period of their construction, it was iron , from which produced not only all of the frame, and shafts , gears , tribe , etc. Medieval blacksmiths and metalworkers were , strictly speaking , the first watchmakers that created large clock . Forge technique strongly influenced the design elements of the mechanism , such as a wedge connection of the frame , the fastening gear lateral wedges on the shafts to protect against axial displacement. Permanent connection happens then riveted or welded.

Significant changes in the shape can be traced primarily to frames hours . Bearing Angle column in the oldest tower clock originally had a shape similar to the reference columns of the temple , on the transverse and longitudinal strips frame they were usually rotated by 45 °. Sometimes the frame is not solid and resembles a bird-cage , had a light design . Corner column , also from flat metal strips , and later began to make straight. From above , they ended decorated ornamental heads , and below – legs . Ornamental elements were initially form polygonal pyramidal or round heads , borne by an arched shank.

Since the beginning of XVII century. increasingly began to appear on the clock flat heads of riveted iron , bent into curls . Around the same time, maybe a little earlier , there were pointed forged heads , such as a turret mechanism, which was originally installed on the tower of the fortress Orlik in South Bohemia . Some tower clock XVII century. found bearing columns of circular section .

With a monumental clock tower at Westminster Palace in London, appeared in the construction of tower clocks , some new elements . Besides the already mentioned differential locking the shutter , there were already significant changes in the frame. Instead of the usual cage frame , which was used for centuries, Dent and Denison prefers a horizontal frame with rollers arranged in a common horizontal plane.

There is no doubt that the production of gears was the most difficult of all construction hours. Large gear clock produced separate parts , which are then assembled into a coherent whole . The main bearing element of such gear has been the hub , usually with four luchevidnymi spokes.

The ends of the spokes pass through the side of the crown with machined gear cutting. Fixed connections made by welding in the forge . Sometimes the weld replaced or strengthened by rivets. A detailed examination of the crown gear then shows a method of manufacturing the teeth . On the sides of crowns of certain mechanisms are still traces of labeled circles basins , showing the height of the teeth . The tops of teeth watchmakers mark cores .

The line connecting beaten Punch deepening of the wheel center showed the symmetry axis of the tooth profile . Shafts of the wheels were originally four-sided cross-section , six – or octahedral , and later became watchmakers prefer round profiles . Tsevochnye ( alfalfa ), tribe , usual clock , are the following example of prefabricated parts of the clock mechanism . In punched or drilled holes in their ends were fixed studs , steel tubes that serve as teeth. Riveted kit is placed on the shaft and secured by transverse wedge longitudinal displacement .

Several of these indications of the old technology could lead to the mistaken view that the medieval watchmakers worked with only very limited means and methods. However, we must not forget that even with half of the XIV century . began to emerge in Europe first chime with sophisticated astronomical instruments , which could not do without concentric hollow shafts .

These concentric shafts were , according to store messages , and paduevskie Chimes , built in the 60- ies of the XIV century . Giovanni Dondinom , as well as about half a century younger Prague’s Astronomical Clock . The successful solution for those times certainly complicated the production of long hollow shafts was a prerequisite for mutual images day and night movement of the sun, moon and stars on the general round clock face .

Effect of isolation of Britain from the early directions of technological development of watchmaking in the European continent , is characteristic of this country, however, and later , visibly manifested in the construction of British clock , which, along with the classic cage frame appeared very simple vertical frame with horizontal axes of wheels located in a common vertical plane. As in other countries, in England, iron was very expensive material .

Therefore, some English watchmakers from the Mainland were made of iron very limited number of parts , such as shafts and gears , but the frame of hours , they produced only from the thick wooden beams . One of the few surviving evidence of this are , for example , old wooden clock tower in Heddon Hall in Derbyshire . In the western areas of England, rich in iron ore , a frame clock produced in most cases of iron . Opening with a wooden or metal vertical frame , which became characteristic of the British towers ” chasostroitelstva , yet still preserved in various cities of this country – in Cal stock , Cornwall, at the Tower of St. Nicholas in Dorset and in some other cities .

Mention should be made giryah , which remained for centuries one of the traditional means of driving more hours. During the first three centuries since the emergence of mechanical watches , such weights are made entirely of stone .At the tower they were first raised by hand using a large clockwork wheels, equipped with multiple handles for staff . Clockwork wheel is mounted directly on the drum shaft drive wheel . The difficulty of lifting cargo weighing up to several quintals forced to seek for this lifting , which appeared in the form of gear consisting of a small tribe on the auxiliary winding shaft and a large gear with a latch and ratchet wheel on the drive shaft .