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During this period, however, Chauncey Jerome of Bristol, Connecticut, devised a rolled-brass clock movement that could be sold at a low price. Such innovations, together with the economies of mass production, soon made the United States the leading clock-making country of the world. As production increased, competition reduced the price of a clock to $1 or less, and for the first time most families could afford a clock. Watches also became cheaper as production rose. American horologists Aaron Dennison and Edward Howard, working in Massachusetts, invented and perfected automatic production machinery in the 1850s. New designs reduced the number of parts required. Watches wound with keys were replaced after 1875 by stem-wound types. The first Waterbury, a famous American pocket watch, could be sold for only $4 because it used a stamped-out mechanism without jewels. Later watches were even less expensive. The Ingersol and the Ingraham, for example, became known as the dollar watches. The electric clock was an American innovation of the early 1900s, invented by Henry E. Warren, who induced producers of electric power to time the alternating-current cycles carefully so that synchronous motors could be used for clocks. The invention by W. H. Shortt in 1921 of the Shortt Free Pendulum, first installed in the Edinburgh Observatory, made possible the most accurate timekeeper until the introduction of the quartz clock in the United States in 1929. The first improvement over the quartz clock was the cesium atomic clock, developed in England in 1955. Electric wristwatches appeared on the market in 1957, followed in 1959 by an electronic watch that substituted a small tuning fork for the usual escapement, with a battery to power the transistorized oscillating circuit. More recent developments have been the LED (light-emitting diode) and LCD (liquid crystal display) watches. The LED, developed in the 1960s, uses the light-producing characteristics of certain semiconductors to illuminate its digital time display; a quartz crystal provides the oscillations that are reduced to compute time. The LCD, produced in the 1970s, uses liquid crystals, materials having optical properties similar to liquids and solid crystals. Scientific advances in metallurgy and other fields have led to many improvements in timekeeping devices of all types. The mainsprings of present-day mechanical watches are made from metals that resist breakage and rust, synthetics have replaced precious stones in jeweled bearings, and cases have been perfected that seal out both dust and moisture. Other special-purpose watches include the Braille watch for the blind, which has sturdy hands not covered with a crystal, and raised dots on the dial to mark the hours; the alarm watch for the pocket or wrist, which functions as a tiny, portable alarm clock; and the calendar watch, which shows the day of month and the week. New sources of power, such as sunlight, body heat, and atomic energy, are being investigated in current horological research. The cesium-atom clock is very accurate and remains stable over long periods of time. The most stable cesium-atom clocks have an error of about plus or minus one second in one million years. The rubidium clock uses the transition of the rubidium-87 atom between two hyperfine energy states. It employs the same basic principle as the cesium-atom clock. The rubidium atoms, however, are first forced to change their hyperfine energy state and are then subjected to microwave radiation to return them to their original state. When many atoms return to their original state, the correct transition frequency has been reached and the period of the wave can be used to measure time. Rubidium clocks are not as stable or as accurate as cesium-atom clocks, but they are more compact and less expensive. The hydrogen clock and the ammonia clock rely on the maser principle. In a hydrogen clock, a focused magnetic field selects hydrogen atoms in a specific hyperfine energy state. These atoms are forced to change to a lower energy state. When many atoms make the transition, they begin to oscillate between the two states, emitting energy in the form of an electromagnetic wave. The period of this emitted wave is used to measure time. The hydrogen clock is very stable for several hours at a time. Throughout history, time has been measured by the movement of the earth relative to the sun and stars. The earliest type of timekeeper, dating from as far back as 3500 bc, was the shadow clock, or gnomon, a vertical stick or obelisk that casts a shadow. An Egyptian shadow clock of the 8th century bc is still in existence. The first hemispherical sundial was described about the 3rd century bc by Chaldean astronomer Berossus. In 1650, before the introduction of the pendulum clock, a clock could be found in a Boston, Massachusetts, church tower. The first public clock in New York City was built in 1716 for the City Hall at Nassau and Wall streets, and a clock was installed in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by 1753. Mass production of clocks with interchangeable parts began in the United States after the American Revolution (1775-1783). Because of the scarcity of metals, well-seasoned wood was used for the movements. In the early 1800s, Simon Willard of Roxbury, Massachusetts, patented the popular banjo clock, and Eli Terry of Connecticut evolved a shelf clock called the pillar-and-scroll clock, which required winding only once a day. About the same time in Plymouth Hollow (now Thomaston), Connecticut, Seth Thomas founded the Seth Thomas Clock Company, which was, in the mid-20th century, one of the largest clock factories in the world. Watches were not produced in significant volume in the United States until about 1800, when Thomas Harland of Norwich, Connecticut, established a factory with a capacity of 200 units a year. In 1836 the Pitkin brothers of East Hartford, Connecticut, produced the first American-designed watch and the first containing a machine-made part. Despite a reputation for accuracy and durability, the manufacture of this watch was discontinued as a result of the depression of 1837, which temporarily crippled American industry. Restoration is an important part of the business. Care and thought is essential in sympathetic restoration. High quality work is time consuming and it is therefore necessary to make an appointment to visit the shop for either sales or restoration. Early 19th Century Lancaster Pinion Cutter Typical of the traditional type of tools used during our sympathetic restoration process. Clocks are more than just a livelihood to us. Special,attractive and genuine pieces require experience and a discerning eye to collect and I hope the pictures convey the merit of pieces displayed. To be sure of receiving the best of our time and attention please call and make an appointment. For over 20 years, I have been working as a specialist restorer. My experience with antique clocks began with a five year apprenticeship and has continued with work on pieces by respected makers, thus gaining vaulable familiarity with various styles and mechanisms for work than can include major rebuilding or delicate but sympathetic restoration A selection of carefully chosen stock is always available to view by appointment. Barometers as well as timepieces which range from late 17th Century through to early 19th Century longcase, bracket and lantern clocks are usually offered. Although English clocks form the major part of the selection, French decorative pieces with high quality cases and movements are also bought and sold as are the occasional sun dial or interesting scientific instrument.
antique clocks grandfather clocks lantern clocks antique clock restoration sundials antique barometers french decorative clocks interior design clocks longcase clocks
antique clock restoration