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Dial clock

During the latter half of the 18th century the English dial clock appeared, a descendant of the so-called 'Act of Parliament' or 'tavern' clock. Originally timekeepers only, consisting of a large circular dial about twelve inches in diameter with a spring-driven fusee movement, the early examples had a verge escapement and often a convex silvered dial. The dial was secured to a circular wooden surround, the rear of which had two wooden strips attached to locate its position on a rectangular wooden box, then pegged into position to hold the clock. A hook on the box allowed the clock to be hung on a wall. Later, dial clocks became more ornate and often incorporated striking trains and sometimes an alarm, the anchor escapement being universally used, with a door in the box to allow the pendulum to be seen or started. Modern dial clocks may have balance-controlled escapements, synchronous electric movements or, increasingly, battery electric movements, including quartz-crystal types.

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  • Part of Speech: noun
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  • Blossary:
  • Industry/Domain: Chronometry
  • Category: Clock
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