My OperaCoach hire london Relics - Stopwatches
Friday, June 4, 2010 11:53:43 PM
The origin of stopwatches has been the center of many questions. Some claim the ancient Egyptians were behind this invention, which is possible considering that those were the same people that built the pyramids. However, you can't just visit ancient Egypt and ask them to show you a stopwatch. We can go back to the first known stopwatch, which was developed in 1884 by Leon Breitling.
The first stopwatches of the time were actually developed for use in aviation and were also very expensive. Despite what the intended purpose was, people wore stopwatches as a status symbol. Since this was a time before the age of electronics, these stopwatches were mechanical and most had a winding mechanism.
Most of these stopwatches had a large face and although that would be strange to wear like a regular watch, it was done anyway. The awkwardness didn't bother people since anything that cost a lot of money was considered to be good and used as a status symbol.
One stopwatch has been a famous icon for more than half a century. On the popular and long running TV show, 60 Minutes, people have gotten used to the stopwatch that is always present in the corner of the screen. Practically nobody wondered if there was CGI at that point in time, but it is a fact that this was a real stopwatch.
Even though the CGI stopwatch is not needed, it still wasn't thrown out like a piece of garbage. That very stopwatch that was a part of 60 Minutes for so many years now is actually on display at the Smithsonian, just like other famous TV icons like the bathrobe from Hawkeye Pierce. It is surprising for many that a little thing like a stopwatch has had such a big role in a popular TV show.
Stopwatches are still basically the same, even though they have advanced over time. They now keep track of laps, can be used to measure time for lab experiments and many other things, as well as keeping track of time in several different countries. This is a big difference to the functions of the original stopwatch that was invented, but it is still important to keep in mind the humble roots.
No matter what new inventions there are, all of them have had a long road to go down before they go to where they are now. When you are holding a stopwatch, then next time take a few moments to contemplate the history this small device has had and its role in society. You will surely come up with many more examples than just the one mentioned above.
If you are researching stop watches, check out this blog which has good articles on digital timers.coach hire london: london minivan rental
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