Alarm Clocks

In this digital age we barely give a second thought to alarm clocks - almost everything we buy seems to beep or buzz at us at some time or other. Some have taken to vibrating or even talking! However in the age of mechanical horology an alarm mechanism was far less common.

History

Early Examples

The history of the alarm clock is a tribute to human ingenuity. People have developed alll sorts of wonderful ideas for causing a signal to occur a a particular time. One of the earliest examples was in ancient Greece where a device was sometimes attached to a water clock causing a mechanical bird to whistle at a certain time!

A simple candle clock could also be turned into an alarm clock by inserting a nail or other item into the wax at a particular point. When the candle burnt down that far, the nail fell onto a metal pan below with a clunk.

Mechanical Alarm Clocks

The first mechanical alarm clocks were large and consisted of adding an alarm mechanism to an existing mechanical clock, very often a wall clock. Some of these early examples didn't have shut-off mechanism - once the alarm sounded it would continue until the mechanism ran down!

The small, wind up bedside alarm clock came into being in the 19th century. The first patent for the idea was issued to clockmaker Seth Thomas in 1876.

Another major innovation was the Westclox Chime Alarm of 1931. This clock in their Big Ben range had two different chimes, one soft and one loud. Initially it would make a quiet chime then, if not shut off, would chime more loudly. As the adverts said: "First he whispers. Then he shouts".

Today an advert like that might be intended literallly - you can buy talking alarms that nag you when it's time to get up!

Modern Alarm Clocks

With electronic digital technology the range of features available seems endless. You can buy alarm clocks combined with CD player and radio, systems that dock with your iPod, projection clocks which display the time on the wall or ceiling and even alarms designed for the deaf. And, as with everything else, you can run alarms on your computer and synchronise online.

One of the innovations which appeals to me most is replacing the annoying mechnical chime or digital PC beep with more friendly sounds such as those from nature. Even more natural is to use light as well as sound.

Personally I find a sunrise alarm clock works best for me. These gradually increase the light level as the alarm time approaches to simulate dawn. I'm not a morning person, but if I really have to wake up then this is a less painful way to do it!

External Links:
Sunrise Alarm Clocks

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Alarm Clocks In this digital age we barely give a second thought to alarm clocks - almost everything we buy seems to beep or buzz at us at some time or other. Some have taken to vibrating or even talking! However in the age of mechanical horology an alarm mechanism was far less common. History Early Examples The history of the alarm clock is a tribute to human ingenuity. People have developed alll sorts of wonderful ideas for causing a signal to occur a a particular time. One of the earliest examples was in ancient Greece where a device was sometimes attached to a water clock causing a mechanical bird to whistle at a certain time! A simple candle clock could also be turned into an alarm clock by inserting a nail or other item into the wax at a particular point. When the candle burnt down that far, the nail fell onto a metal pan below with a clunk. Mechanical Alarm Clocks The first mechanical alarm clocks were large and consisted of adding an alarm mechanism to an existing mechanical clock, very often a wall clock. Some of these early examples didn't have shut-off mechanism - once the alarm sounded it would continue until the mechanism ran down! The small, wind up bedside alarm clock came into being in the 19th century. The first patent for the idea was issued to clockmaker Seth Thomas in 1876. Another major innovation was the Westclox Chime Alarm of 1931. This clock in their Big Ben range had two different chimes, one soft and one loud. Initially it would make a quiet chime then, if not shut off, would chime more loudly. As the adverts said: "First he whispers. Then he shouts". Today an advert like that might be intended literallly - you can buy talking alarms that nag you when it's time to get up! Modern Alarm Clocks With electronic digital technology the range of features available seems endless. You can buy alarm clocks combined with CD player and radio, systems that dock with your iPod, projection clocks which display the time on the wall or ceiling and even alarms designed for the deaf. And, as with everything else, you can run alarms on your computer and synchronise online. One of the innovations which appeals to me most is replacing the annoying mechnical chime or digital PC beep with more friendly sounds such as those from nature. Even more natural is to use light as well as sound. Personally I find a sunrise alarm clock works best for me. These gradually increase the light level as the alarm time approaches to simulate dawn. I'm not a morning person, but if I really have to wake up then this is a less painful way to do it! External Links: Sunrise Alarm Clocks Clocks-Watches-Time / Clocks / Types / Alarm Clocks / All original material copyright © Trevor Mendham 2005-2008. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners Please read the site terms of use		Clocks Types Alarm Clocks Atomic Banjo Bracket Carriage Cuckoo Kit Cat Lantern Longcase Mantel Mystery Parliament Skeleton Sundials Tide Tower Wall Water Makes Mechanics Famous Watches Time Time & Motion More...