The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-24
ANCIENT TIMEPIECES.
History OF the Gradual improvement In
the Works of Modern Watchea

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History OF the Gradual Improvement IN
the Works of Modern Watches.
The use of the watch has become 50
common and people are so accustomed to
take note of time by the 'eces which
they carry in their pockets that they are
apt to forget how recent an invention it
is. The first watch was not twenty years
old when America was discovered. The
great mass of the human race never saw
watch, and if men have lived (as some
scientists claim for 100000 years, then
how singular the fact that for so. 600
years of that time no one ever had a
watch.
Of course the watch grew out of the
precedent use of the clock, and it was
about 600 years between the first clock
and the first watch. That is as closely
as one can estimate dates when the pre-
else year of either invention is unknown.
The invention of the clock is. generally
ascribed to the monk Gerbert, who was
afterward raised to the tiara under the
name of Pope Sylvester II. The first
clocks were cumbrous things, calculated
only to be hung to the wall and worked
with cords and weights. For a long
time they were only used in converts
and monasteries, where they helped to
make miserable the lives of the inmates.
Others say that the invention of the
clock was due to the Saracens. Some
time in the Fourteenth century the es-
capement was introduced in what is
known as De Wyck's clock. This al
lowed of reduction in size, BUTT seems
to have taken $50. years more for the
Idea to have gotten into mems minds
that the clock might be made small
enough to carry in the pocket or to hang
as an ornament upon the person.
The city of Nuremburg claims to have
made the first watch in 1477, and Peter
He'll, of that city, made watches of steel
as early as 1890. 1t is certain that the
first watches were called Nuremburg
eggs, fact that Identifies both the place
of making and the shape of the watch.
The works were inclosed in circular
metal cases and were hung from the CIR
die. They generally suggested the idea
of the egg.
The first English watches had weights
and were used as a pocket clock. Such
early watches had only one hand and re-
quired to be wound up twice day. The
dials were of silver and brass, the cases
had no crystals, but opened at the back
and front and were four or five inches in
diameter-about the size of a common
dessert plate.
The first great improvement of the
watch-the substitution of springs for
weights-was in 1860. These springs
were not coiled, but were only straight
pieces of steel. Soon afterward the fusee
was invented, connected with main
spring in barrel This was fastened to
a piece of catgut, which was wound
around spiral grooved fusee in the shape
of cone. The last coils were around
the small end of the cone, thus present
ing in the running of the watch the least
leverage to the greatest force of the
spring. AS the cone was unwound the
leverage changed in proportion to the
force of the spring. This made it pos
sible to attain considerable accuracy in
the running of the watch. A small linked
chain was substituted for the catgut, and
this style of chain remained until COM
paratively recent times. The spiral hair
spring, which is SO necessary for equaliz-
ing the motion, was invented and at
tached about the year 1868 by DR.. Hook.
Lengthening or shortening the spring
lessons or increases the vibrations and
makes the regulation of the watch an
easy matter.
The cases of the early watches were
made for personal adornment and were
of all sorts and shapes. One that be-
longed to Lady Fitzgerald tells in a Curl
GUS way the classic tale of Jupiter and
Ganymede. The works are contained in
the body of the eagle, which opens across
the center and displays the dial plate
richly engraved with scrolls and flowers.
The silver gilt watch in the form of a
deaths head was given to Mary, Queen
of Scots, by her husband, the dauphin
of France. 1t was lately in the posses
sion of Sir John Lauder, and came to
his family through Catherine Seton, to
whom the unfortunate Mary gave it be-
fore her execution.
There is a similar watch in Boston
museum that belonged to one of the Pill
grim fathers. 1t is of silver, in the form
of deaths head, opening at the under
jaw. 1t has at the top small ring, by
means of which it was attached to the
girdle.-Jewelers' Review.