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Wall Clock

One of the frequently used yet hardly ever given importance nowadays are those objects that hang on our walls. They are everywhere, in our rooms, kitchen, dining room, comfort rooms, table and desks yet we hardly thought of how these objects came to be. It’s funny that we only notice the presence of these objects when they are removed form their places or when they simply stop working. These object I’m referring to is the wall clock.

Although we could tell time through natural means as practiced by our predecessors, modern men are more conscious of the accuracy of time. This is probably due to the pressures of the modern era. These days, every minute counts. And because of this demand for accuracy in time telling, various devices to measure time were invented. These inventions progressed and now we have hi-tech, state of the art clocks and watches. Digital clocks and wristwatches were introduced. Talking clocks and radio clocks are gaining popularity. And who knows what else are in line.

Yet despite these innovations that are made to suit the modern man. No one can deny the timeless worth of wall clocks. They were and are still central pieces in majority of homes and offices nowadays. They were put there primarily to tell the time and secondly, to serve as a decorative piece.

Wall clocks have existed for decades. Early clocks are succession of huge sundials, the natural means used by our ancestors in time telling. In the time of the sundial, people tell time by determining the direction of the shadow that is cast on the surface. Most wall clocks then were imitation of sundials. As man started to innovate and technology started to advance, older clocks become too big and expensive. These kinds are rarely seen except in public places such as churches or public edifices.

In 1600, British houses began to sport domestic wall clocks and are known as chamber clocks. These early clocks are lantern-type or more popularly known as “brass type” for the obvious reason that these are made from brass. They were hung on a wall trough a hook with weights hanging down below them in ropes which later became chains and eventually progressed into a pendulum. Normally there were three weights; one for the time, the striking, and the alarm. These brass dials, unlike the contemporary or mass produced clocks, were products of months of arduous labors of skilled craftsmen. Only the privileged, the monarchs and the sovereigns can afford to have these clocks showcased in their mansions and palaces.

Then the second wave of clocks inventions came about. Great Britain refurbished these traditional dials and introduced a more advanced timepieces that we have today. Painted wooden wall clocks gained popularity, were produced, and made available to the masses. This era saw the development of wall clocks from timekeeping devices to commemorative and decorative pieces. They were used to mark significant events in history. One great example of this is the Thomas Kent wall clocks from the famed Paddington Station Wall Clock.

Today, wall clocks can still be found in almost every household in the planet. They just simply “hang in there”…