Desktop Clock - desk clock information

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The desktop clock probably owes its beginnings to the coiled main spring. When mechanical clocks began being built in the 1400's using the coiled main spring as a power source, it became possible to build a clock small enough to sit on the mantel or desk top. These early desk clocks were not hugely accurate, and their improvement in accuracey progressed slower than the pendulum clocks, but they were a beginning. The desktop clock, like the watch, was a steady improver in mechanical engineering up until the time when the electronic clocks took over.

The desktop clock got a bit of a kick along in the 1870's when the Seth Thomas Clock company produced its small mechanical bedside alarm clocks. The popularity of this small mechanical clocks that could sit upon a bedside desk, (or any desk), bought the clock into a whole new range of applications. Then in the early 1900 hundreds H.E.Warren developed the first battery powered clock, follwed by the first plug into mains electric clocks in 1918. The quartz movement has drastically changed the clock industry, particulalry the desk clocks.

While there are still some mechanical clocks being made for table tops, most desktop clocks are now quartz clocks. (battery or main powered) The trend in desk clocks, like wall clocks, has been the moving towards the atomic desktop clock and radio controlled desk clock. These newer desk clocks are more accurate and reliable, but just occassionally don't you miss having to wind up your clock, or the tick tock of a mechanical clock?