In this video, Oliver Cook, Curator of Horology at the British Museum, takes viewers on a virtual 24-hour tour through the museum's collection of timekeeping devices. The journey showcases a diverse range of horological instruments, framed by the time of day they might have been used. The presentation begins with unusual alarm clocks—one using gunpowder and another that makes tea—before moving on to a pedometer watch for a morning walk and an industrial clocking-in machine for the workplace. Lunchtime is marked by ornate instruments like a chalice sundial and a knife with hidden astronomical tools. The tour continues with exquisite luxury items, including a singing bird automaton, a discreet "touch watch" by Breguet for a party, and an early chess timer. The day concludes with Breguet's "Pendule Sympathique," a masterwork clock that automatically sets its companion watch, and a versatile portable instrument that can tell time from the sun, moon, and stars. The video highlights the ingenuity, artistry, and historical context of these objects, spanning from the 16th to the 20th century.
A Journey Through Time: Highlights from the British Museum's Horology Collection
0:00:35 Gunpowder Alarm Clock: An elaborate 18th-century Austrian table alarm clock that uses a flintlock mechanism to ignite a small tray of gunpowder and light a candle at a set time. Rather than a loud bang, it would produce a fizz and light, though it posed a considerable fire hazard.
0:02:09 The Teasmade: A much safer 20th-century alternative for waking up, this Goblin Teasmade from the 1970s is an appliance that automatically boils water and brews a fresh cup of tea at a preset time.
0:03:40 Pedometer Watch: This early 19th-century double-dial watch by Charles Oudin of Paris features a standard watch face on one side and a pedometer, or step-counter, on the other. Analysis suggests it was calibrated to measure English miles, indicating it was made for the export market.
0:06:11 Clocking-in Machine: A 1942 Glad Hill Brook time recorder that was used by staff at the British Museum. A memo from 1979 taped inside warns "industrial class laborers" about strict work hours and the criminal offense of clocking in for a colleague.
0:09:21 Chalice Sundial: A gilt chalice from 1554 made by Abbot Bartholomeus of Oldersbach, which functions as an altitude sundial. To tell the time, the user aligns the instrument with the correct sign of the zodiac for the time of year and reads the sun's shadow on the hour lines inside the cup.
0:10:51 Multi-Tool Astronomical Knife: A beautifully engraved knife that conceals multiple instruments within its handle, including astronomical tables, ivory carvings, and a tiny, universal equinoctial sundial, making it a luxurious and intellectual status symbol.
0:12:25 Singing Bird Automaton Clock: Attributed to the Swiss master Jacquet Droz, this ornate, cage-like automaton features a mechanical bird that would sing and move on demand. The clock dial is cleverly located on the underside, intended to be read from below as it hung from a ceiling.
0:13:53 Breguet "Montre à Tact" (Touch Watch): An ingenious gold watch by the legendary Abraham-Louis Breguet designed for telling time discreetly. By moving an external pointer until it stops against the internal hour hand, the owner could feel the time by touching raised pins on the case edge without ever looking at the dial.
0:15:43 Early Chess Clock: Made by Fattorini & Sons in the late 19th century, this timer consists of two separate clocks on a cast-iron seesaw base. Pressing one side stops its clock and starts the opponent's. It notably uses inexpensive movements imported from the New Haven Clock Company in the USA.
0:17:23 Breguet "Pendule Sympathique": A remarkable and rare clock that automatically interacts with a matching watch. When the owner placed their watch in the cradle atop the clock overnight, the clock would set it to the correct time and, in some versions, wind and regulate it.
0:20:41 Portable Sun, Moon, and Star Dial: A versatile, unsigned French instrument for telling time day or night. It functions as a sundial, a moondial (using a volvelle to account for lunar phases), and a nocturnal on its reverse side, which finds the time from the position of the stars relative to Polaris.