The invention of the watch

the invention of the watch is a history which is about human of watch and everything

1. The Invention of the Watch

2. Paragraph 1 IN THE EARLY YEARS of the 16 th century , a German locksmith from Nuremberg named Peter Henlein (or Hele ) invented a portable timekeeping device , which is considered the first watch.

3. Figure 1 : Peter Henlein

4. Paragraph 2 Very little is known of Henlein , who died sometime in 1542.Like many locksmiths, Henlein dabbled in other fields and he took care of the local clocks of churches and the town hall. Apparently, in 1504 , after being involved in a violent scuffle that ended a man’s life , Henlein fled to a Franciscan monastery for protection. He stayed for several years and it is believed he invented a portable timepiece while there

5. Paragraph 3 Various sources give different dates for the invention, all within the early years of the 16 th century . However, a work from 1511 ,called the Cosmographia PomponiiMelae states the following ; “Everyday now they invent more subtle things : Peter Hele (Henlein) of youthful age, executes works that raise the admiration of mathematicians,viz ., he makes watches from iron with many wheels, that, however they are worn, in the stomacher or in the purse will show and strike the hour during forty hours .”

6. Paragraph 4 Henlein used a spring to drive the portable timepieces. The use of a spring allowed the timepiece to be smaller than traditional clock sand thus portable. As the tightly wound spring relaxed, it drove the timekeeping mechanism. However , because the force exerted by the spring decreased as it uncoiled , the timekeeping was irregular.

7. Paragraph 5 Prior to this, timepieces were stationary . Mechanical clocks were weight-driven and difficult, if not impossible , to move; sundials needed to be in the same place or the readings were inaccurate . Water clocks were also difficult to move , notched candles were expensive and inaccurate. The necks of hourglasses became worn after repeated uses, allowing sand to flow more quickly and distorting time telling.

8. Figure 2.1. : Water clock

9. Figure 2.2. : Water clock

10. Paragraph 6 Despite the drawbacks of the early portable watches, they were considered status symbols. These timepieces, later nicknamed “Nuremberg Eggs” due to their shape, measured about four to five inches in diameter and about three inches in depth and could be carried about in the hand .

11. Figure 3 : N uremberg egg

12. Paragraph 7 These early time keeping devices were made of iron or steel , but later watches were made of brass and steel and these time pieces chimed the hour . They also lacked a minute hand, which was not invented until the late 17 th century , and also did not have a glass face, also introduced in the 17 th century .

13. Paragraph 8 Watches became more popular as they became more reliable in keeping time. The invention of the fusee in the mid-16th century made spring-driven time devices more accurate. The fusee is a cone shaped grooved pulley that compensates for the lessening of the force of the spring, delivering constant pressure . Portable timekeeping devices also became necessary in the age of navigation, as they were needed for determining longitude at sea.

14. Last paragraph It has recently been reported that the sale of watches has decreased as people are now relying on their cellular phones ,Blackberries , iPods and computers to tell the time.

15. Reference : www.history-magazine.com Dohrn -van Rossum , Gerhard; Thomas Dunlap (1996). History of the Hour: Clocks and Modern Temporal Orders. USA: Univ. of Chicago Press. p. 122 Your opinion : W atch is part of life but it help to use each day is good. especially, this bulider is creative and mathematics useful .