Monday, June 15, 2009

Wall Clocks Have Been Part of Home Decoration For a Long Time

By William Warford

Today's world moves at an exceptionally fast pace so much so the extent that more and more people are succumbing to stress-related ailments. There is so much to do and so little time! Research shows that the average person is distracted from what they were doing every 11 minutes. This has put time management on the priority list of people who want to succeed in business, academics and almost anything. Many now believe that they way one manages their times determines their level of success in whatever they embark on.

In many instances, we would think that time management is hardly an issue because first of all there are clocks almost everywhere. Then there are wristwatches which are worn by a majority of people. These are important especially if one works in a place where time is of the essence and for most of us, this is the case. Today even cars have digital clocks mounted on their dashboard and this highlights the importance that people place on time.

Time management therefore, is an issue of utmost importance, whether someone is at work, in their cars or out and about walking on the streets. At workplaces, it is much easier to manage time because there are accountability persons (boss) and tools so everyone respects time and monitors it. At home however, it is a little different and there is no one but yourself to keep tabs on time. At home, people need wall clocks.

These clocks are not really not new and have been around since the Dutch developed them back in the 1st century. The word clock actually emanates from the word "cloca", which translates as "bell". These were used to signal to the locals the passage of time. They were also used to usher in a new event. These same clocks were also used by the government to alert people of any urgent news or issue announcements.

The wall clocks we have today have evolved from some of the earliest of the modern wall clocks that we have. Among these was the sundial which calculated time clock measured time by calculating the angle of the shadows in relation to the sun. Others measured the number of poles by gauging the angle and length of noonday shadow in relation to the sun. While this was not as accurate as the clocks we have today, they nevertheless created a great way to estimate time.

Then the clocks became more complex to include huge brass dials which we know today as grandfather clocks. These were very prestigious but were also considered to be pricewise beyond the reach of the average citizen. They were therefore common only with the upper class.

Britain as a country was the first country to create wall clocks and make them available for the average household. They have since been considered something of a honor and prestige to possess. People thus used the clocks to mark major celebrations, celebrate holidays and revere religious days.

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1 comment:

wall clocks said...

I believe the first wall clock was developed in Germany in the early 16th century. It was a spring based system but proved not to be very accurate at all!