The Modern Watches and Precise Clocks (Part 5 of 5)
In the evolution of watch and clock making, mechanical clocks became the foundation upon which other types of watches and clocks were made. The theory that a mechanical mechanism could “tick” of time in specific, set increments is the basis of both the quartz watch and the atomic clock.
The Quartz Watch
The Americans, Swiss and Japanese all played a part in the invention of the quartz watch. One of the first quartz watches ever built for mass market distribution was made by the Sinclair Company. It had the right idea, using quartz crystals to complete an electrical circuit that would move a mechanical movement in precise increments, but the outer casing and primitive use of the quartz proved disastrous.
Sinclair’s “Black Watch” was a digital model quartz watch that was introduced in 1975. It had all kinds of problems from losing or gaining time during the changes in hot and cold weather to creating static that would affect its time keeping abilities simply by walking on nylon carpet or having static due to clothing or air conditioning. In addition, it had a battery...