It's often claimed that the fore-runners of mechanical clocks were physical models of the heavenly sphere(s). In the northern hemisphere this/these appeared to rotate clockwise. So clocks followed suit.
John Lynes ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sumi Yoichi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <sundial@rrz.uni-koeln.de> Sent: Friday, June 14, 2002 2:42 PM Subject: Why the clock rotates clockwise? > Sundialists > > I want to ask a simple question to sundialists in the ML. > " Why the clock rotates clockwise?" Most Japanese horologist says as > follows. In the very old times, primitive people knew the rough time from > the sun-shadow of the vertical gnomon on the ground. In that case, the > shadow of the gnomon rotates clockwise on the north hemisphere, so the > clockwise-rotating mechanical clock was made. This is right? > Sundialists know well the shadow of the gnomon of the vertical type sundial > on the wall rotates anticlockwise. I think the way of looking at the clock > is very like the vertical sundial on the wall. Why the clock maker did not > make the anticlockwise-clock? Can anyone know the article or the web-site in > English dealing with my question? > Thanks in advance > > Sumi Yoichi > Japan > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.spi.ne.jp/~gnomon/ > > > - > -
