Clocks and Watches (British Museum Paperbacks)

Recording the passing of time has challenged mankind for thousands of years, but it was not until the Middle Ages that a fundamental advance was made when the first mechanical clocks harnessed the power of the falling weight and the unwinding spring. Hugh Tait traces the history of clocks and watches from the earliest medieval examples to modern times. From the grand long-case clocks to the most exquisite of watches, this book shows how invention and mechanical ingenuity have been matched with craftsmanship and artistry for more than five hundred years.