Relation between Timepieces and Society

In this section on the “Relation between Timepieces and Society” we recount the circumstances that compelled human beings to create calendars and timepieces and how these inventions changed society over the centuries. Let’s look back through a timeline of the various ways timepieces have influenced and shaped society.

Emergence of Timepieces

Human beings recognized time by the light of the sun and the lengths of shadows. The first sundial emerged in around 4000 B.C. as the original timepiece.
Transition of Calendars

Calendars based on the solar and lunar cycles were essential for organizing the activities of daily life. This page introduces the transitions of the world’s major calendars through history.
Things Brought by Mechanical Timepieces

The seasonal time system was replaced by the fixed time system in the West when mechanical timepieces emerged. Time became a valued asset and society’s sense of time was revolutionized.
Age of Discovery and Marine Chronometers

Through the years of the Age of Discovery, the world’s top scientists toiled to invent a marine chronometer capable of telling accurate longitude on a ship. Success eluded them for many years.
The British Timepiece Industry and Industrial Revolution

The development of timepiece mechanisms suitable for mass production and division of manufacturing labor started first in Britain. The British timepiece was a key driver of the Industrial Revolution.
Development of the Timepiece Industry in Switzerland

This section traces the timepiece industry built in Switzerland by clockmakers escaping religious persecution in France from the the end of 16th century to 19th century.
Life and Time in the Edo period

This section explores how farmers and commoners of the Edo period managed time. Chimes of bell towers in castle towns and the countryside were introduced.
Development of the Japanese Timepiece Industry centered by Seikosha

Clockmakers appeared all over Japan after the calendar reform of the early Meiji Era, giving birth to a timepiece industry. This page introduces the developments of the Japanese timepiece industry during Meiji Era.
US Timepiece Industry and Railroad Watch

A tragic railway accident in Kipton, Ohio in 1891 triggered a boom in the US timepiece industry. Mass production with improved precision and standardized parts commenced at full speed.
From the Birth of the Wristwatch to its Development

Wristwatches first spread in the world after the World War I. The two World Wars produced basic technologies that evolved into watch technologies we still use today.
The Quartz Crisis and Recovery of Swiss Watches

The Quartz Crisis damaged the timepiece industry in Switzerland. Then, the industry recovered.
Atomic Clocks at the Forefront

This February, we reported on the mechanisms and history of atomic clock and its possible innovation in the future.
The leading-edge research advances quickly, and at this point of time, which is only a few months later, we already see a sign of change.
We will report that change and future prospects.
What is a Traditional Japanese Clock (Wadokei)?

The traditional Japanese clock is a unique mechanical clock produced in Japan during the Edo period.
This traditional Japanese clock was produced in accordance with the “seasonal time system,” the time system used in Japan, based on a mechanical clock introduced from Europe.
Seasonal Time System

The time system that divides the length of a day into equal parts is referred to as the “fixed time system.” The current system with 24 equal parts is now universally adopted throughout the world.
A system that divides a day into day and night and partitions each into equal parts is referred to as a “seasonal time system.”
Major Types of Traditional Japanese Clocks

All these clocks are exhibited at The Seiko Museum or stored in the museum collection.