A Guide to Battery Operated Clocks
Watches and clocks have now been around since a long time and while many of us have become more dependent on our computer and mobile clocks, no home or office is complete without battery operated clocks.
The battery operated clock, while still being very much in use in these modern times, has its origin back in the nineteen sixties when scientists discovered that instead of pendulums and weights, the best time keeping material was silicon dioxide or quartz. In fact, if you remember enough to go back to the last century, then you would know that all the clocks and watches that we bought were labeled quartz by the manufacturers. Newer and more accurate time keeping methods like the atomic clock have been introduced in the market for mass consumption nowadays, but the old and trusted , not to say economical quartz watch with a battery operated clock mechanism still rules the roost when it comes to the most popular clocks and watches in the market.
The battery operated clock mechanism, which has now been honed down to perfection, is a feat of simplicity and economy of both space and power. Small particles of quartz feature in almost all battery operated clock mechanisms since this is the core behind these devices. The quartz crystal has a unique property it is piezoelectric. In simple layman terms, what this means is that if you pass a small electric current through a piece of quartz, it will vibrate with a fixed frequency or vibrate a fixed number of times per second.
This property of quartz is used to measure and display the time in almost all battery operated clock mechanisms. The battery sends electrical pulses to the quartz crystal through a small electric circuit. The crystal, which is generally shaped in the form of a tuning fork, in turn vibrates an exact 32768 times every second after receiving the electric pulse. The same electric circuit in the clock then counts the number of vibrations and converts them into electrical pulses at the rate of one pulse per second. These electrical pulses are then used to drive the gears that move the battery operated clock hands to tell the time. The method is not just simple and economical; it is also precise and accurate.
The main parts in a battery operated clock are the electric battery, the circuit through which the electric current is passed to the quartz crystal, the quartz crystal that oscillates to create a definite amount of energy every second which is then transferred through the electric circuit to a small electric motor which turns the gears to show the time. The same battery operated clock parts are used in both digital and analog battery operated clocks, with the only difference being that the energy generated by the oscillation of the quartz is used to power and change the LED or similar display instead of grinding gears like in the case of an analog clock. Battery operated 6 digit clocks also work with the same principal, apart from the fact that they also let you know the time in seconds. These battery operated 6 digit clocks and watches are quite a boon for professionals like sportspersons and doctors who need to know the time in seconds for various purposes.
While almost all of us have one or more battery operated wall clock at our places, a new version of the same thing, the battery operated projection clock, makes a cool addition to different kinds of décor schemes. The battery operated projection clock works similar to any other clock as far as the mechanism is concerned, but instead of showing the time on a solid clock face, the clock face along with the hands can be projected onto any flat surface or wall. These battery operated projection clocks, especially those where the whole projection mechanism can be seen through a transparent glass body, are the latest rage among clock collectors and lovers.
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