Clock Movement

Be Moved by Clock Movement

“Time is gold” as the saying goes. Time may be spent in a lot of ways. Some have a lot of time to spare while others may have their times limited and short. Time can be spent wisely or unwisely. One is not aware of how much time he has wasted until he sees for himself the clock ticking out.

A clock is a device that is used to tell, keep, and coordinate time. The term “clock” was derived from the Celtic words clagan and clocca, which mean “bell”. On the other hand, for persons who study horology (the study of time) or horologists, a clock is an instrument with a mechanism that sounds or rings a bell in order to announce time intervals. Clocks without such a mechanism are referred to as timepieces. Clocks are also used to measure intervals in terms of other units such as the “day” and “lunar month”. Today, the term clock is used generally to refer to any device that is used for measuring and telling time.

Clocks work through their internal parts which include: the oscillator, which is an object that repeats similar motions over and over again and does this with a precise and constant time interval between each repetition. This repetition is referred to as a “beat”. Attached to the oscillator is the controller device, which maintains the oscillator’s motion by replacing the energy it loses as a result of friction. This also converts the oscillations into a series of pulses. Next would be the counters, wherein the pulses are added up in a chain, to tell time in convenient units specifically seconds, minutes, and hours. The last part would be the indicator, which is used as a display.

The main concept behind the function of the individual parts of a clock is clock movement. This refers to the internal mechanism of a clock or watch, which is in turn enclosed and protected by a case. In general, the clock movements refer to the movements made by the individual parts of a clock.

Clock movements come in a variety depending on the design and the type of a clock. The first among this variety would be quartz clock movement. Quartz clock movements work through the use of an electric oscillator that is in turn regulated by a quartz crystal. This crystal creates very precise frequency that makes quartz clocks more accurate than mechanical clocks. Another would be grandfather clock movement, which is mainly used in grandfather clocks or tall clocks. In here, a pendulum is utilized inside the case as the oscillator. Last would be Hermle clock movements or Hermle units. In here, there is a dash in the movement number and there are no letters in the beginning like “A”.

The different movements vary depending on what type of clock they are used for.  But one thing remains constant.  The movement is the force behind the time; it’s what keeps the clock ticking away.

Things to Know About Quartz Clock Movement

We use clocks every single day to tell time or keep in mind how much time we have left for a specific task or activity. But have we ever tried knowing more about the internal mechanisms that make clocks work and tic? Well, if you want to know more, them we’re going to go through the explanations behind the main principles that make clocks work, namely clock movement. This differs from one clock to another depending on its classification.

Among the most common and popular types of clock movements would be quartz clock movement. Quartz clock movements have gained their popularity because of their highly precise time-telling capacity. This is made possible through its use of a quartz crystal that regulates the clock’s electronic oscillator. The electronic oscillator is an electric circuit that produces a repetitive electronic signal known as a sine wave or square wave. This repetitive electronic signal produces the clock’s “beat”.

Another would be mini quartz clock movement; these are also precisely built by a number of manufacturers. This type of clock movement is accurate to within 10 seconds per month. This is also the most ideal choice for wood, ceramic, or other types of material that have a minimum depth as a requirement. This type of clock movement is also pretty much energy efficient since most of them have the ability to run over a year with only a single “AA” battery in use. Other types of clock movements include Takane quartz clock movement and Hermle quartz clock movement.

Takane quartz clock movements are center-shaft mounted, that requires a 11/32” shaft hole. Takane clock mechanisms are accurate to +/- 3 minutes a year and this are usually have warranties lasting for 12 months. These come with a gold sweep second hand and an open ring nut; or without a second hand with a closed cap nut.

Hermle clock movements use a 6 or 7 digit code to designate whether it is spring, chain, or cable driven, the plate size, hammer arrangement, and the hand shaft length. An example of such would be: 77, Howard Miller, 1161-853, 94cm. This example shows the movement number 1161-853. This has been made by the company for Howard Miller and its three pendulum components have a total length of 94cm.

The main material responsible for the amazing accuracy of clocks with this type of clock movement is quartz. Quartz is a compound also known as silicon dioxide. If a quartz crystal is precisely cut and mounted, this can be made to vibrate or oscillate using an alternating electrical current. Precision in cutting this material is of prime importance since the frequency at which it vibrates depends on its shape and size as well as the positions where electrodes are placed on it. If precisely done, the crystal can oscillate at a desired frequency. Most common among clocks and watches would be a frequency of 32, 768 Hz.

Among modern quartz clocks nowadays, the quartz crystal resonator takes the shape of a small tuning fork. This is usually laser-trimmed or precision lapped. Another advantage offered by this compound aside from its accuracy is that its shape does not change as temperature increases or decreases.

Getting To Know Antique Clock Parts In Doing Repairs

Having the luxury of time is one of the best gifts one can have. Time can be spent with family members, friends, and even alone. Time is indeed gold not only for those who cherish every single penny they earn in a specific amount of time but also for those who treasure every single second [...]

How Does A Clock Dial Work?

What time is it? You may now be turning your head towards the wall where your clock is hung. A clock has been of great help to the human civilization for a very long time. From its simple beginnings, the sun dial, which was used by our ancestors to tell time, years back when technology [...]

Fixing Time with Clock Repair

Having you experienced this? You wake up on a Monday morning and decide snooze a little bit more before getting up from bed to prepare yourself for work or school. Then you end up tossing and turning a few times in bed because as you notice, it is way too early to get moving. After [...]