Woodwards gearless clock

That's a pity, if I'd seen this post earlier you could have had mine for the cost of the postage. It's probabl;y not worth anything because the dog chewed the spine, but it's still readable. Too late to cancel?

Duncan,

Yes it is too late but thanks for the offer.

On the other hand I am saving up for "Woodward on Time", it's currently available for $106. You can't help me out there can you?

Cheers, Colin

Wonderful as WOT certainly is; it's a great pity that the BHI never managed to produce the DVD of animations that was intended to accompany it.

MichaelG.

.

[quote from October 2011 i.e. nearly five years after publication]

Hi Michael

I've just spoken to Tim, who was organising the video, and he says that unfortunately now it is not likely to happen.

Sorry to disappoint you.

Jayne

[/quote]

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 23/05/2017 16:32:59

Another useful book if you can find a copy is Accurate Clock Pendulums by Bob Matthys. Some theory but a lot of useful information on making various parts of the object.

A beautiful book to own and contemplate is Watchmaking by George Daniels.

There's a book which is an interesting read but ultimately fails (in my view) to live up to its billing called The Lost Science of John "Longitude" Harrison by William Laycock. Long out of print but available by interlibrary loans.

Woodward is my favourite author on clocks, because he was an excellent maker and a mathematician who really elucidated the theory behind clocks, and writes like an angel. (He was also a key player in my own field of communications engineering in its early days, and actually I was lectured by him when I was a student.)

Reading HJ and HSN, you will find that (though they are interesting and excellent publications in their own way) there is a big range of views on the physics of clocks! Like other areas of engineering (such as steam?), now that mechanical clocks are no longer of any conceivable use for keeping accurate time there isn't the discipline of the market to weed out the approaches that are less successful.

Now I'll just go and get out my tin hat before posting this!

Marcus,

The Science of Clocks and Watches arrived and I've now finished it. OK I slid over some of the mathematics but I really enjoyed the graphical explanantion of why late or early pulsing of an escapement alters the regulation. I'm only sorry I had to encounter the cgs system again.

I guess I have all the books on horology I need now, well maybe just one more, Accurate Clock Pendulums by Bob Matthys, once I can justify 87 GBP for it (thanks John Haine).

Best regards, Colin

Colin,

One of the books I have, to which I find myself returning at intervals, is one of Derek Roberts' volumes: Precision Pendulum Clocks - France, Germany, America, and Recent Advancements. This contains little theory, and is too expensive as a casual purchase, but it contains many good photos of mechanisms, particularly the pendulums, suspensions and other details of the later fine timekeeprs by Reifler, Fedchenko; The Littlemore clock, and it has a chapter by Philip Woodward. There is much joy to be had just savouring the fine craftsmanship. Examples of many of the mechanisms can be seen at the Royal Observatory.

Another book I see mentioned from time to time, and again in this month's Horological Journal, is The Theory of Horology, by Reymondin, Monnier, Jeanneret and Pelaratti, published by the Swiss Federation of Technical Colleges/WOSTEP with the latest edition dated 2015. I am not convinced you would find enough about clocks in the book, or enough about heavy theory, as the description says more about watches. Fearfully expensive, but a book that has been around for a long time. I do not have a copy on my shelves, as my pocket money won't stretch that far.

Marcus