http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com en-gb clockrepairrochdale.com 2010-8-17T00:00:00Z clockrepairrochdale.com http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#73052 We are incredibly honored to have just completed restoration of a Thomas Tompion bracket clock for a private collector photo gallery coming soon Thomas Tompion 16391713 was an English master clockmaker and watchmaker known today as the father of English clockmaking as stated on the plaque that commemorates the house he shared on Fleet Street with also renowned clockmaker George Graham. His work includes some of the most important clocks and watches in the world and his work commands huge prices whenever it appears at auction. His apprentices included George Allett Edward Banger Henry Carlowe Daniel Delander Ricard Ems Ambrose Gardner Obadiah Gardner William Graham nephew of George Graham George Harrison Whitestone Littlemore Jerimiah Martin Charles Molins William Mourlay Charles Murray Robert Pattison William Sherwood Richard Street Charles Sypson William Thompson James Tunn and Thomas White many of whom became important clockmakers in their own right. 2010-8-17 10:05:58 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#72510 Benjamin Barlow Although the clockmaking industry of the 17th and 18th centuries was centred around the City of London under the auspices of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers many of the finest pieces were made further afield in the provinces. Lancashire and Yorkshire were particularly well blessed with fine and innovative makers indeed John Harrison of Longitude fame was a Yorkshireman. In the North families tended to work together in business and often the number of clockmakers in one family would run to double figures. Such a family were the Barlows of Lancashire. They had a tradition of fine clockmaking producing wonderful clocks none more so than Benjamin Barlow of both Oldham and AshtonunderLyne. The family were descended from the famous clockmaker Edward Barlow who for some reason changed his name from Booth and who wouldve been the great grandfather of Benjamin. Edward was the inventor in 1676 of amongst other things the rack used to count off the hours when striking and... 2010-8-10 16:10:31 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#70831 The Prague Astronomical ClockThe timepiece is also called Prague Orloj and it represents a medieval astronomical clock. Visitors can enjoy the wonderful look of the clock on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall which is in the Old Town Square.Three main components make up the whole Prague Orloj. These are the astronomical dial which shows the position of the Sun and Moon The Walk of the Apostles which is a clockwork hourly show of several moving sculptures and finally a calendar dial having twelve medallions each one of them representing one month.The clock has golden Roman numbers located at the outer edge of blue circle. These numerals represent the timescale of a 24 hour day. The curved golden lines that divide into 12 parts the blue part of dial represent marks for unequal hours which can be defined as 112 of the time between sunrise and sunset. As the days get longer or shorter the markers vary during the year.Withing a large black outer circle there is another movable cir... 2010-7-20 12:11:16 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#70719 The History of the Legendary Atmos Clock In the late 1920s JeanLeon Reutter a young Paris engineer experimented with a clock that needed no direct mechanical or electrical intervention to keep it wound in short a clock powered only by Perpetual Motion. For centuries many scientist including Leonardo Da Vinci had experimented with the idea of Perpetual Motion however only J.L. Reutter eventually succeeded at incorporating that novel idea into an actual working clock. Through out his life J.L. Reutters dream of a Perpetual Motion timepiece led him to produce a clock with a timekeeping mechanism designed specifically to consume the smallest possible amount of power to keep the clock running satisfactorily. After studying the design of the 400Day Anniversary Clock which was very popular during that era Reutter made significant changes to that concept to meet the small input power requirement he was looking for in his new clock design. Reutters modifications of t... 2010-7-19 08:21:51 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#70508 History Of The Grandfather Clock In 1656 a Dutchman named Christian Huygens was the first person to use a pendulum as a driving device in clocks. This was the birth of the Grandfather clock or to use the correct terminology Long Case clock. The first Long Case Clocks were produced in Britain after the London clock maker Ahasuerus Fromenteel sent his son to Holland to learn about the use of a pendulum. For the first 15 years clock makers struggled to develop a pendulum device capable of keep accurate time. By 1670 an anchor escapement had been developed that when used in conjunction with a pendulum great accuracy could be achieved. This development ensured that history would remember Britain as the dominating producer in the world of clock making. Names such as Joseph Knibb Thomas Tompian George Graham and Daniel Quare all come to mind when discussing the history of Long Case Clocks. The earliest cases were made from oak and were architectural in appearance. Higher quality clock... 2010-7-16 08:26:10 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#70438 Water clocks were among the earliest timekeepers that didnt depend on the observation of celestial bodies. One of the oldest was found in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I buried around 1500 BCE. Later named clepsydras water thieves by the Greeks who began using them about 325 BCE these were stone vessels with sloping sides that allowed water to drip at a nearly constant rate from a small hole near the bottom. Other clepsydras were cylindrical or bowlshaped containers designed to slowly fill with water coming in at a constant rate. Markings on the inside surfaces measured the passage of hours as the water level reached them. These clocks were used to determine hours at night but may have been used in daylight as well. Another version consisted of a metal bowl with a hole in the bottom when placed in a container of water the bowl would fill and sink in a certain time. These were still in use in North Africa in the 20th century. 2010-7-15 10:11:21 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#69919 Minute HandIn 1577 Jost Burgi invented the minute hand. Burgis invention was part of a clock made for Tycho Brahe an astronomer who needed an accurate clock for his stargazing. 2010-7-9 08:23:32 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#69844 Sun ClocksThe Sumerian culture was lost without passing on its knowledge but the Egyptians were apparently the next to formally divide their day into parts something like our hours. Obelisks slender tapering foursided monuments were built as early as 3500 BCE. Their moving shadows formed a kind of sundial enabling people to partition the day into morning and afternoon. Obelisks also showed the years longest and shortest days when the shadow at noon was the shortest or longest of the year. Later additional markers around the base of the monument would indicate further subdivisions of time. 2010-7-8 12:12:25 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#69724 Alarm ClocksAn early prototype of the alarm clock was invented by the Greeks around 250 BC. The Greeks built a water clock where the raising waters would both keep time and eventually hit a mechanical bird that triggered an alarming whistle. The first mechanical alarm clock was invented by Levi Hutchins of Concord New Hampshire in 1787. However the ringing bell alarm on his clock could ring only at 4 am. On October 24 1876 a mechanical windup alarm clock that could be set for any time was patented 183725 by Seth E Thomas. 2010-7-7 09:14:03 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#69596 Some Famous Clocks One of the most famous clocks is in the cathedral of Strasbourg the clock was first placed in the cathedral in 1352 and in the 16th cent. it was reconstructed. In the 19th cent. a new astronomical clock so called because it shows the current positions of the sun moon and other heavenly bodies in addition to the time of day similar to the original clock was constructed its elaborate mechanical devices include the Twelve Apostles a crowing cock a revolving celestial globe and an automatic calendar dial. Among other wellknown clocks of the world are the clock known as Big Ben in the tower next to Westminster Bridge in the British Houses of Parliament and the tower clock in the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company building New York City. 2010-7-5 15:53:54 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#69568 Origins of ClockThe word clock comes from the French word cloche meaning bell. The Latin for bell is glocio the Saxon is clugga and the German is glocke. 2010-7-5 11:13:48 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#69393 The first watch appeared in about 1500. Not very accurate but a toy for the wealthy. Over the centuries with the invention of the hairspring and other improvements it became more accurate and smaller until it evolved into the small jewel you wear on your wrist today. 2010-7-2 12:31:07 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#69368 What on earth is horology Briefly its the science or art of measuring time. Its a science that started back in the days of the Babylonians who came up with the idea for the 60second minutes and 60minute hours we use now. 2010-7-2 09:30:14 http://www.clockrepairrochdale.com/page17.htm#69061 Antique Clock Repair And Restoration launch our new blog page regular posts from 1st July........ 2010-6-28 17:24:19