Living things have a diurnal biological clock using the 24-hour
period or daily cycle as an oscillator. Before the invention
of clocks, day-to-day life was regulated by the length of the
solar day, or "sun time." With the advent of
mechanical clocks, the idea of mean time came to govern how time
was measured and was also referred to as "clock time."
Some scholars have argued that this division of time allowed for
truly productive labor and was the foundation of the Industrial
Revolution (Landes, 1983, Revolution in Time). The
development of the pendulum and improved escapements led to
greater reliability and timekeeping accuracy to the point where
adding minute and seconds hands became important for dividing
time.
During the first half of the 19th century, mass production of
clocks began. Nearly every household could afford to obtain its own timekeeper. Today, we do not fully appreciate the
significance of the earlier timepieces as we are surrounded by
clock time.
We offer an amazing variety of antique clocks that still provide
reliable service. They are eco-friendly, only demanding the
discipline of winding their source of energy, either a coiled
spring or a weight. The beat of the escapement reminds us of the
passage of time.