Author Archives: Oliver Cooke - Society Member

  The pairing of clocks and opera has been a recurring theme in this blog (1, 2, 3) and I am now happy to report on another such coincidence.  Over recent years, members of an opera production company, Brolly Productions, have made several … Continue reading →

  I write with a foot in two allied camps; as a member of the AHS and a Curator of Horology at the British Museum.  In October last year the AHS Council generously donated sixteen interesting clocks, watches and horological tools … Continue reading →

  Earlier this month the British Horological Institute hosted a day of lectures and discussion relating to horological conservation and restoration at their headquarters in Upton Hall.     The terms “conservation” and “restoration” are applied to different philosophies of approach … Continue reading →

  On the one hand we have simple, easy to use, single-handed dials.  On the other hand, some dials are not so straightforward.   This clock has “fly-back” or “retrograde” hands.  The hands proceed clockwise as usual but when they … Continue reading →

  The last of the five elements is the indicator, the part of the clock or watch that conveys the time. Early clocks and watches typically only had a single, hour, hand.  This was more than adequate for indicating the … Continue reading →

  Continuing our wander through the five elements, we come to the controller – the part of the clock which controls its rate.  Let us pass-by the major landmarks (the pendulum, the balance spring and wheel and the quartz crystal) … Continue reading →

  Last time I looked at how clocks and watches obtain and store their energy, but I thought it worth mentioning how carefully they use it. Some clocks are designed to have a surfeit of energy –  for instance turret … Continue reading →