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Portable Mechanical Clocks & Watches

With pendulums, people became able to make very accurate clocks. But in order to make portable clocks (watches) that people could carry around with them, two important inventions were needed.
The first was the spring, which replaced the heavy weights used in older clocks. When the spring was wound up it would unwind gradually, and people began to use this to power clocks.
Springs are small and light, so they’re perfect for carrying around, aren’t they?!
Yes, that’s right! The other important invention was the balance. Pendulums would stop the clock from working if it was shaken or moved, and cause large errors in timekeeping, so they couldn’t be used for portable clocks.Thanks to the invention of the balance, which was resistant against shaking and moving, people became able to make clocks that were accurate even when carried around.
So we can use balance to adjust the speed of the clock in place of pendulums! Who invented them?
The balance was invented in 1675 by the Dutch inventor Christiaan Huygens; the same man who invented the pendulum! It was this invention that finally made it possible for people to make portable pocket watches and wristwatches that could be carried around.
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History of Timepieces

Go back to the beginning

  • Sundials
  • Water clocks
  • Hourglasses
  • Combustion Clocks
  • The First Mechanical Clocks
  • Pendulum Clocks
  • Portable Mechanical Clocks & Watches
  • Quartz Clocks & Watches