What is the greatest length of time a clock mechanism has ever run for on a single winding?

lanfranco

Well, the Guinness Book of World Records doesn't deal with this issue (it does mention the largest cuckoo clock), so just for fun, I decided to throw in two of the knock-out 17th-century year clocks designed by the great clockmaker Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) for William III (cases and mounts by Daniel Marot). Tompion also designed year clocks for the Royal Observatory, and the claim is that they required only a single annual winding. Just scroll down. http://www.antique-horology.org/_Editorial/woodburntompionknibb/TompionKnibb.htm Then there is the Clock of the Long Now, designed to keep time for 10,000 years. It will require human winding, but the two sites I checked did not seem to indicate exactly how often. Interesting project anyway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_of_the_Long_Now Aug 18 05, 11:56 AM

peasypod

I found a doozy that might occupy gmack's mathematical fettishes for a bit. How about if you make your own clock and break the record yourself using Newton et al as your right-hand men? http://www.brendlers.net/clock/science.htm Aug 18 05, 5:46 PM

gmackematix

I'm none the wiser about the record but it appears that the length of time a mechanical clock runs for depends on the power train. Here is a good site showing the basics of how clock movements work: http://www.brendlers.net/clock/science.htm Aug 18 05, 6:32 PM

gmackematix

D'oh! I clearly didn't notice you'd also found that Peasy! Aug 18 05, 6:33 PM

peasypod

You know what they say about great minds.... Aug 18 05, 6:38 PM

gmackematix

If my head wasn't swimming with cannon wheels, pinions, pallets, dead-beat escapements, pitch circle diameters and so on I would probably have clocked your reference. Aug 18 05, 6:38 PM

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