Watches In The Modern Age
Watches In The Modern Age
The beginning of the modern era can be dated no more precisely than the invention of the mechanical clock. The beginning of the modern age was an epoch-making process, by which fundamental changes in science, technology, religion, and many other independent areas of life took place. From the perspective of technology, we can mark the beggining of the modern era with the invention of the mechanical watch.
Because it created a new world view, the beging of the modern scientific revolution led to a tremendous need for sufficiently accurate timekeepers. The heliocentric world view that Nicholas Koppernigk: Short - Copernicus, proclaimed in the 16th Century, was only the prelude. By its ability to divide time into smaller units, the mechanical watch supported the new world. The watchmaking industry arised from the blacksmithing, specifically from the established canon professions and molder of the locksmith.
In mid-16th Century the watch was becoming a very sought-after gem. It was possibly because of the distinct feeling the artificial oxidation of steel, the bronze decorations and the brass parts of the movements and housing gave. The "Nuremberg eggs" were famous German watches that came into fashion and got their strange names not because of their shape, but because of a translation error. Galileo Galilei was the one who succeded to the formulate the laws for the construction of a pendulum clock. But because Galilei died before he could build it the honor to have invented the pendulum clock has gone to the great Dutch astronomer Christian Huygens, which after Galileo's theories were developed, builds the clock and in 1657 logged registers it as a patent. The Huygen's pendulum clock had transitional uncertainty which was a deviation of 10 seconds per day. This value will be vastly improved through the years.
The 30-year war started in 1618 produced a decline of the German centers of watchmaking, Augsburg and Nuremberg, and a shift of power in favor of England and Switzerland. In the 17th Century various guilds and statutes governing the activities of the watchmaker were appearing and starting to standardize their operations.
A year after George Graham perfected by Thomas Tompion in 1695 invented cylinder manufacturer determination.
Thomas Tompion (1639–1713) was an English clock maker, watchmaker and mechanician who is still regarded to this day as the Father of English Clockmaking. His shop in Fleet Street sold during his lifetime over 6000 pocket watches.
What the skillful craftsmen managed to do with bigger watches, was afterwards done in smaller form directly. Already famous in the 16th century were massive pocket watches called the "Nuremberg Eggs". Technical achievements like the tense steel-feather as a source of energy appeared since the end of the 15th century and the beginning of this 16th. This enabled the production of smaller, more wearable watches. The development of these oval pocket watches was initially done in the 16. century by the Nuremberg watchmaker Peter Henlein (b. 1479) however, its manufacture was allowed only in the middle of the 16. century after his death has taken place. So, Henlein cannot be regarded as an inventor of the pocket watch. Switzerland had a multitude of very experienced watchmakers at its disposal to this time. Particularly in the villages of the Swiss jurisprudence between Geneva and Basel, a center of the Swiss watch manufaturing was created, the village of La Chaux.
Among other things, chronometers were required for navigating on high seas. So it was obvious that the as a sea-power England promoted watch making in the early years after strength and a supremacy was acquired in this area. The English supremacy in the production of small watches moved in the 18th. century to Switzerland.
But also in Germany, count Carl Friedrich of Baden opened a watch making factory in 1767 at his residence in Pforzheim.
The industrial production of small watches however only began in the 19th. century. There was already a watch production at that time, however only in small numbers. They served as pieces of jewelry with a bracelet or a chain on the wrist. The watch-casings were round or oval. Now watches were becoming an luxury item that ordinary men could acquire. The first "true" watches were created in 1880. The German war-navy ordered them from the Girard Porregaux company. However, in Switzerland, watches were being developed for ladies also, which were very popular above all among Americans. At this time brands which are now famous for luxury watches were being founded: Baume et Mercier - founded in 1830 by the Baume family in the village of Les Bois, in the Swiss Jura; TAG Heuer - founded by Edouard Heuer in 1860 in St-Imier, Switzerland; Longines - founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland; etc.
Because it created a new world view, the beging of the modern scientific revolution led to a tremendous need for sufficiently accurate timekeepers. The heliocentric world view that Nicholas Koppernigk: Short - Copernicus, proclaimed in the 16th Century, was only the prelude. By its ability to divide time into smaller units, the mechanical watch supported the new world. The watchmaking industry arised from the blacksmithing, specifically from the established canon professions and molder of the locksmith.
In mid-16th Century the watch was becoming a very sought-after gem. It was possibly because of the distinct feeling the artificial oxidation of steel, the bronze decorations and the brass parts of the movements and housing gave. The "Nuremberg eggs" were famous German watches that came into fashion and got their strange names not because of their shape, but because of a translation error. Galileo Galilei was the one who succeded to the formulate the laws for the construction of a pendulum clock. But because Galilei died before he could build it the honor to have invented the pendulum clock has gone to the great Dutch astronomer Christian Huygens, which after Galileo's theories were developed, builds the clock and in 1657 logged registers it as a patent. The Huygen's pendulum clock had transitional uncertainty which was a deviation of 10 seconds per day. This value will be vastly improved through the years.
The 30-year war started in 1618 produced a decline of the German centers of watchmaking, Augsburg and Nuremberg, and a shift of power in favor of England and Switzerland. In the 17th Century various guilds and statutes governing the activities of the watchmaker were appearing and starting to standardize their operations.
A year after George Graham perfected by Thomas Tompion in 1695 invented cylinder manufacturer determination.
Thomas Tompion (1639–1713) was an English clock maker, watchmaker and mechanician who is still regarded to this day as the Father of English Clockmaking. His shop in Fleet Street sold during his lifetime over 6000 pocket watches.
What the skillful craftsmen managed to do with bigger watches, was afterwards done in smaller form directly. Already famous in the 16th century were massive pocket watches called the "Nuremberg Eggs". Technical achievements like the tense steel-feather as a source of energy appeared since the end of the 15th century and the beginning of this 16th. This enabled the production of smaller, more wearable watches. The development of these oval pocket watches was initially done in the 16. century by the Nuremberg watchmaker Peter Henlein (b. 1479) however, its manufacture was allowed only in the middle of the 16. century after his death has taken place. So, Henlein cannot be regarded as an inventor of the pocket watch. Switzerland had a multitude of very experienced watchmakers at its disposal to this time. Particularly in the villages of the Swiss jurisprudence between Geneva and Basel, a center of the Swiss watch manufaturing was created, the village of La Chaux.
Among other things, chronometers were required for navigating on high seas. So it was obvious that the as a sea-power England promoted watch making in the early years after strength and a supremacy was acquired in this area. The English supremacy in the production of small watches moved in the 18th. century to Switzerland.
But also in Germany, count Carl Friedrich of Baden opened a watch making factory in 1767 at his residence in Pforzheim.
The industrial production of small watches however only began in the 19th. century. There was already a watch production at that time, however only in small numbers. They served as pieces of jewelry with a bracelet or a chain on the wrist. The watch-casings were round or oval. Now watches were becoming an luxury item that ordinary men could acquire. The first "true" watches were created in 1880. The German war-navy ordered them from the Girard Porregaux company. However, in Switzerland, watches were being developed for ladies also, which were very popular above all among Americans. At this time brands which are now famous for luxury watches were being founded: Baume et Mercier - founded in 1830 by the Baume family in the village of Les Bois, in the Swiss Jura; TAG Heuer - founded by Edouard Heuer in 1860 in St-Imier, Switzerland; Longines - founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland; etc.
