Quality Clocks

The clock in the Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury, England is believed to be the oldest continuously running clock in the world.

The Salisbury chiming clock was originally installed in the bell tower in 1386.  It resided in the bell tower until 1789 when the tower was torn down.

The clock now resides in the north nave aisle of the cathedral.  In the 622 years of operation the clock has ticked over 5,000,000 times.

The manufacture of clocks became a thriving industry during the 14th and 15th centuries.  Soon every city and town had to have its own clock.  The basic mechanism did not change during this period.  The development of better ways to produce the gears and other metal parts contributed greatly to the Industrial Revolution.

You can still find many of these giant old clocks in town centers and other important meeting centers.  Many modern civic and commercial facilities are incorporating wall clocks or pedestal clocks in their architecture.

Big Ben the most famous clock in the world is located in the clock    tower of the Parliament in London, England.  Most of the House of Parliaments was burned by a fire in 1834.  This tragedy presented an opportunity to rebuild on a grander scale.  Part of the rebuilding included a new clock tower, and new clock.  The Astronomer Royal imposed strict requirements for the new clock.  The first stroke for each hour had to be accurate within one second and the clocks performance had to be telegraphed twice each day to the Greenwich Observatory to check the accuracy.  A pendulum clock design was chosen.  The pendulum of the clock has a shelf with a set of weights.  The removal of one of the smallest weights would cause the clock to lose two-fifths of a second in 24 hours. 

 Over more than 150 years Big Ben’s bell has been used to commemorate both solemn and joyous occasions such as the end of World War I, and the annual day of remembrance for England war dead.