The Invention Of The Pocket Watch During The Renaissance Period

“The Renaissance was a period in European history, covering the span between the 14th and 17th centuries and marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity. The traditional view focuses more on the early modern aspects of the Renaissance and argues that it was a break from the past, but many historians today focus more on its medieval aspects and argue that it was an extension of the Middle Ages.” “The Renaissance began in the 14th century in Florence, Italy.” “Spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry.

Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and searched for realism and human emotion in art.” There have been many important inventions throughout history and a few that relate to the pocket watch are the mechanical clock, the sundial, and the calendar. All of these inventions are very important to timekeeping and they led to the pocket watch.

The invention of the pocket watch during the renaissance had a significant impact in that it was important in male fashion, to keep accurate time, and development of the pocket watch meant that new mechanisms were introduced.

The invention of the pocket watch during the renaissance began around 1510 AD. The reason the pocket watch was invented was because of the need for a standard of timekeeping. When it was invented it brought with it more accurate timekeeping. It also paved the way for the clocks of today with the mechanisms it used. It also brought a standard of fashion later on. Some styles relating to fashion are the Open-face watch and the Hunter-face watch. The Open-face or the “Lépine” is one in which the case lacks a metal cover to protect the crystal.

While the Hunter-face watch is a case with a spring-hinged circular metal lid or cover, that closes over the watch-dial and crystal, protecting them from dust, scratches and other damage or debris. The fashion style started to be affected by them in the 17th century and men started to wear them instead of pendants but women remained with pendants until the 20th century. “This is said to have occurred in 1675 when Charles II of England introduced waistcoats.” It was invented around 1510 AD by Peter Henlein. “Peter Henlein was a locksmith and watchmaker from Nuremberg.

He is often said to be the inventor of the watch. This is disputed. Henlein was certainly one of the first makers of the watch. Although many say that Henlein invented the mainspring, there are descriptions and two surviving examples show that spring-driven clocks had already been made by the early 1400s.” It is a portable timepiece that used balance springs to function and is drum-shaped. It was invented because most towns used the sun or bells to keep time, which meant time could vary greatly.

The pocket watch had positive and negative impacts on the ancient world. It should be one of the most important inventions of the renaissance because it was the first portable and accurate timepiece. It could run for 40 hours without having to be wound back up. Compared to the sundial which was inaccurate and didn’t work when it was shady, it was heavenly. It wasn’t as important though for a while because it only had one hand, to begin with. Also because it was inconvenient when you were trying to do something active.

Also, the price when the pocket watch was first made, was expensive so only the rich could afford it but later on its price decreased. The way the pocket watch kept time was in hour increments at first but over time it eventually developed minute hands and finally second hands so that time could be kept in more precise measurements. The way the watch functioned was by striking or alarm mechanisms. Striking and alarm mechanisms are clocks that sound the hours audibly.

The development of the pocket watch had the greatest significance in the modern world because it brought forth many ideas that could be used for watches today. Some of the ideas put forward were people needed a watch that could be used actively, it brought forth the idea of a portable timepiece, and it showed that time could be kept accurately. One example of inspiration for a pocket watch into a wristwatch is how a traveller’s pocket watch turned into a GMT wristwatch. “After four years of research and development, the Parmigiani Fleurier watchmaking centre unveiled an ingenious mechanism which has a motor movement and a 'follower' module. The latter can be synchronised with the former with an interval of full hours, or indexed to it with an interval of hours and minutes. The absolute precision of each zone is guaranteed thanks to this cutting-edge movement, and the Tonda Hémisphères which encloses it is rare amongst GMT watches in that it enables the two separate time zones to be displayed on a single dial, with dual accuracy despite a single movement.”

The invention of the pocket watch during the renaissance had a significant impact in that it was important in male fashion, to keep accurate time, and development of the pocket watch meant that new mechanisms were introduced. It’s very important for them to be innovators so that they can improve on the inventions that have already been created so that they can further timekeeping in the future.

References

1. Baillie, G. H. (1947). Clocks and Watches: An Historical Bibliography. Edinburgh: National Museum of Scotland.
2. Britten, F. J. (1894). Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers: Being an Historical and Descriptive Account of the Different Styles of Clocks and Watches of the Past in England and Abroad to Which Is Added a List of Nearly Twelve Thousand Makers. London: E. & F.N. Spon.
3. Bruton, E. (1979). The History of Clocks and Watches. New York: Crescent Books.
4. Cardwell, J. (1990). The Clock and the Mirror: Girolamo Cardano and Renaissance Medicine. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
5. Daniels, G. (1967). The Art of Watch Repair: Including Descriptions of the Watch Movement, Parts of the Watch, and Common Stoppages of Wrist Watches. London: N.A.G. Press Ltd.