The History of time: The first tools

The history of time is part of that of Man. He needs to measure time to manage his daily life and understand his environment. Throughout history, it has succeeded in creating tools allowing it to manage this time according to its needs. Optimize agricultural harvests, consolidate social structures and manage trade. But then, what are these tools that have allowed man to divide his day into 24 hours?

The first tools for measuring time: from the sundial to the hourglass

The history of time begins with sundials. More than 5000 years old, the first sundials deployed by man were obelisks. The sundial allows time to be measured using the shadow projected from a small stick onto the surface of the dial. This small object is called a gnomon.

Properly constructed, a sundial can measure time with remarkable accuracy. But this tool has its limits: it is unusable when the sun sets. Man has shown ingenuity to overcome this problem. Going through the candle, the water watch and the hourglass. The latter was widely used by sailors in the 14th century to calculate time over a predetermined period. Unlike its peers, the hourglass was not altered by its environment and was easily transported.

The first mechanical clocks

It was at the beginning of the 11th century that the first mechanical clock was created by Pope Sylvester II. The history of time is experiencing its first major evolution. His creation spread quickly and became popular during the 14th century throughout Europe. These clocks, due to their sizes, were placed on cathedrals and churches. Building on the work of Galileo, Christian Huygens built the first pendulum clock which improved the precision of existing clocks. We owe the first wearable watch to Peter Henlein, which appeared in the 16th century. This innovation is the beginning of a revolution in the watchmaking industry which will subsequently lead to the precious timepieces that we know today. The solar clock governed the rhythm of the city then the clock that of the home, modern times subsequently produced the watch. The tool becomes a piece of jewelry, it is no longer a question of wearing time on the wrist but of giving it its personality. Once again, you are now equipped to strut in front of your friends about watchmaking and the origins of Beaubleu.