Trust

[chris mabbott]

A funny thought crossed my mind today as I wound the South Bend that I’ve been testing for the last weeks. I selected my favorite chain, matched it with my jacket then I dutifully, but carefully tensioned the mainspring. I looked at the time and confirmed it on my phone, it was spot on, maybe 30 seconds slow, but I can certainly live with that.

As I checked the time, I realized that we take accuracy for granted, it’s something we never really have to think about. Everyone has a mobile that is continually updated via the nuclear clock somewhere high in the Tibetan mountains 😮
I came to think about the trust that people used to place in their time keepers, they had to, no choice, especially if they were far removed from the local tower clock by which all pieces were synchronized, also the train station was a sync point.

When I awake I check the time on a wifi connected clock, I know it’s accurate, even if the wifi has lost connection.
Lately I’ve been experimenting with the “old” time keepers, so now when I awake, I look first at the PW, but I always re-check with the modern piece LOL

It was just a funny observation on the train to nowhere that I thought I would share, as we are all keepers of the holy time here

[willofiam]

Hey Chris, here is a thought to tickle your inquiring mind, As societies timekeeping has become more accurate, have we become more complex. Not that I know too much but during the industrial age timekeeping became essential in the factories for productivity, the simple farmstead that relied upon sunrise and sunset has now gone to the wayside. William

[bernie weishapl]

Ya know Chris I thought about this very subject driving home from the hospital. Don’t ask me why but it just popped up. Here is my take on it. I grew up back in the day way before cellphones, clock radio’s, wifi, etc. I have both the clocks my grandpa and grandma had. Both black mantles. They both passed away in 1960 and 1961 at 92 and 94 yrs old. What used to amaze me and was my observation was that when someone asked for the time you never heard it is like 1:18 or 8:23, etc. It was always oh it is “about” 1:30 or about 8:30. Never once did I every hear back then anyone ever give the exact time but as my granddad used to say time is just time. I don’t think they ever worried about the exact minute or exact second. I know today and it may have just been my upbringing that someone asks me the time I always find myself saying oh it is about a quarter till or about a half past. I very seldom these days except to set a clock I repair ever look at my cellphone for time. When I retired I put my wrist watch on the dresser and there it sits today. Haven’t wore it since the day I walked out of work for the last time. Battery was dead so took it out about 3 yrs ago. 😆 😆 I have both my granddads pocket watches and my dads. Both granddads had what they called a Sunday go to meeting watch and a work watch. All 5 of them are being displayed and I wind them maybe a couple of times a year. I also have my dollar watches I was given as a kid that have been cleaned and oiled on display. I never wear any of them. 😆

Another thing the old mentor that I apprenticed under (he was about 80 at the time) said if you can get a old antique clock within 2 to 5 minutes week of the correct time you have did your job. He said if you want to spend a whole lot of time trying to get them spot on you are just wasting your time.

Good thread Chris and some food for thought.

[mahlon]

Well said Bernie, I truly believe that if we were to spend alittle less time worrying about the time, and spend alittle more time worrying about the needs of our fellow man, the world would be as it was designed to be. Mahlon

[tmac1956]

Chris:

When we get hit by that giant sun spot, asteroidal impact by a planet killer, nuclear war, magnetic pulse weapons, global warming/cooling, explosion of the great North American Caldera, giant tsunamis, killer flu pandemic, (fill in the apocalyptic blank), then we and our time pieces will finally be in great demand once again.

Later,
Tom

[bernie weishapl]

lol good one Tom. 😆

[chris mabbott]

Great responses from great minds If driving off into the sunset has no benefit other than opening the mind and finally having the time to connect & collate all of the information we have collected over the course of our journey, then that is a great bonus. Like I said the other day…Really, apart from the physical aspect, who wants to go through youth again when there is a lot more to life than having an overabundance of energy, although that does help 😆

@willofiam wrote:

As societies timekeeping has become more accurate, have we become more complex. Not that I know too much but during the industrial age timekeeping became essential in the factories for productivity, the simple farmstead that relied upon sunrise and sunset has now gone to the wayside. William

William, what a good question, but I don’t feel that it’s complexity, controlled possibly, time is a form of control and it was used for this purpose since its inception.
Which begs the question… Why was timekeeping invented & perfected in the first place, who actually benefits from knowing how long this or that takes? Are our lives any richer due to knowing what time it is? What would happen to society if time keeping ceased?

[willofiam]

Well….everyone would be late for supper 🙄

[chris mabbott]

😆 😆 I don’t be needen me one dem fancy windy up thingies to tell me when to eat me my vituals 😆 😆

[demewill]

The folklore I have heard is that accuracy, and specifically standardization of time was driven by the railroads. In times past, each town had their own time which made it difficult for scheduling arrivals and departures. The accuracy was driven by too many train wrecks caused by both these regional differences as well as inaccurate timekeeping. This lead to the Railroad grade Watch.

Dan

[bernie weishapl]

Naw William I was never late for supper and didn’t need a watch. Mom always rang the bell. 😆

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