Ancient timing tools

In ancient times, sundials (relying on sunlight), water clocks (ancient Egypt/China), and hourglass (China) were mainly used for timekeeping. These tools were greatly limited by the environment and had limited accuracy.

The birth of mechanical clocks

In the 13th century, large mechanical clocks began to be installed in European churches, driven by gear systems, but with low accuracy (up to half an hour of daily error). In the 16th century, Huygens invented the pendulum clock, which used the principle of pendulum to reduce the error to a few seconds per day, marking the practical stage of mechanical clocks.

Industrialization and Standardization

In the 18th and 19th centuries, with the development of mainspring technology and standardized parts production, clocks gradually became smaller and more popular (such as pocket watches and table clocks). The invention of quartz clocks (1927) and atomic clocks (1949) in the 20th century further improved accuracy and supported modern technological applications.

Local development in China

China invented portable timers as early as the Han Dynasty, independently developed mechanical clocks during the Tang Dynasty, and introduced European mechanical clock technology during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.