Wristwatch/Timelines

3500 BC(E)

• The Obelisk is created by Egyptians, and possibly previously by Sumerians.

1500 BC(E)

• The Sundial/Shadow Clock built by Egyptians
• One of the earliest water clocks is buried in the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Ahemhotep I

500 - 100 BC(E)

• Romans and the Greeks improve water clocks through mechanics (bells, gongs, doors -- ways to attempt flow regulation)
• 325 BC(E) - clepsydras' ("water theives") are used by the Greeks

30 BC(E)

• Vitruvius describes 13 different types of sundial styles in Greece, Asia Minor, and Italy

1 BC(E)

• Andronikos constructs the Horologion, the "Tower of the Winds" in Macedonia, Athens Marketplace

200 - 1300 CE (AD)

• Chinese inventors modify clepsydras' to drive various mechcanisms.
• 725 CE (AD) - A water escapement is invented in the far east
• 900 CE(AD) - Pocket sundials are employed
• 1088 CE (AD) - Su Sung implements a water escapement in the "Su Sung clock tower". It is over 30 feet tall and very elaborately adorned.

1300s CE(AD)

• Mechanical clocks appear in Italian cities, in towers.

1500 - 1510

• Peter Henlein of Nuremberg invents the spring-powered clock.

1525

• Jacob Zech of Prague invents the fusee
• Gruet also works on and perfects the fusee

1582

• Galileo creates the pendulum-clock concept, but wasn't able to build it before his death.

1656

• Christiaan Huygens (Dutch) invents the hair-spring, about the same time as Hooke from England

1671

• William Clement of London begins to build clocks with an "anchor" or "recoil" escapement

1675

• Huygens creates the Balance Wheel and spring assembly

1704

• Nicholas Facio (Swiss) introduced Jeweled bearings

1721

• George Graham creates a pendulum that adjusts for temperature change

1761

• John Harrison builds a marine chronometer with a spring and balance wheel escapement that wins the British Government's prize established in 1714.
• Harrison also develops friction reduction techniques during the 1760s

1764

• John Harrison builds the Gridiron pendulum

1880

• Pierre Curie of France discovers piezoelectricity

1888

• Friedrich Reinitzer of Austria discovers the liquid crystal property

1889

• Siegmund Riefler builds a nearly free pendulum clock that become standard in astronomical labs
• Otto Lehmann coins the term "liquid crystal" inspired by Reinitzer's work

1895

• Seiko in Japan creates the first Japanese pocketwatch

1898

• R. J. Rudd develops the first true "free pendulum clock"

1913

• Seiko in Japan creates the first Japanese wristwatch, dubbed "The Laurel"

1921

• W. H. Shortt develops another true "free pendulum clock"

1923

• G. W. Pierce's research on Crystal Oscillators lays the groundwork for Cady to develop the Crystal Oscillator

1920s

• Walter Guyton Cady develops the first Crystal Oscillator

1927

• Warren Marrison develops the first quartz crystal oscillator clock

1940

• The Swiss establish the Laboratoire Suisse de Recherches Horologeres (LSRH)

1946

• The Hamilton Watch company develops the "Hamilton Electric 500" between 1946 and 1957. It is an abysmal market failure due to a flawed design, and short battery life.

1955

• Max Hetzel of Switzerland creates prototypes of watches using Tuning Forks as opposed to the balance wheel.

1961

• Seiko Japan creates the 951, their first quartz crystal chronometer

1962

• The Swiss establish the Centre Electronique Horloger (CEH)

1967

• From the CEH come Quartz watch prototypes
• Seiko Japan sells the 953 Pocketwatch and Wristwatch, both Quartz powered

1968

• Juergen Staudte creates a process for mass production of quartz oscillators while working at North American Avionics (which became Rockwell)

1969

• Seiko Japan sells the 35SQ Astron, the first commercially available quartz watch on Christmas, December 25^th

1970

• From the CEH comes the Beta 21, on sale April 10 1970, a quartz crystal watch
• The Pulsar, a joint product between Hamilton and Electrodata is announced on April 4; developed by John Bergey and Dick Walton

1972

• The Pulsar is on the Market