Traveling in Time: Exploring Bristol, CT, the Clock Capital of the World
Welcome back to the Traveling Time with Dan show, where we mix travel with history and with leadership. Today, we are visiting Bristol, Connecticut, home to the American Clock and Watch Museum. It’s fascinating to think that Bristol, Connecticut, used to be known as the “clock capital of the world”! In fact, the broader Connecticut River Valley was once called the “Switzerland of America”.
If you ever find yourself in Bristol, the museum is definitely worth checking out to see the story unfold inside.
The Evolution of Timekeeping
To appreciate the museum, it helps to understand the long history of timekeeping. Humans started with the natural rhythms and cycles—the daytime, the nighttime, the moon cycles, and the seasons. The ancient Egyptians later formalized this effort by creating the sundial. Since sundials only work during the day, the Greeks developed methods for keeping time at night, including devices such as the clepsydras, which used water, instead of the sun. People in Asia also used candle clocks and incense clocks, too.
Eventually, people began creating mechanical clocks. Think of the old churches with their big tower clocks. These early mechanical devices primarily told the hours, not the minutes. This technology later evolved into pocket watches and eventually, the massive mass-production of clocks and watches that accompanied the Industrial Revolution. This period also saw the necessity of standardizing time with the introduction of railroad time and time zones. Suddenly, bosses were emphasizing punctuality, telling employees they needed a clock or watch and demanding they “better be on time”.
A major shift in personal timekeeping occurred with World War I, when wristwatches became essential. Soldiers needed their hands free for their weapons and couldn’t be pulling out a pocket watch. Today, we have advanced technology like the quartz watch and the incredibly accurate atomic watch, which changed everything in terms of precision.
Why Timekeeping Transforms Society
The history housed in this museum is about more than just old clock faces. Timekeeping, fundamentally, is about the history of technology and its role in transforming society.
Consider the massive impact timekeeping had on navigation and exploration. Accurate time was necessary to calculate longitude on the ocean, a development that helped save the lives of countless sailors. Timekeeping is also linked to the history of precision, war, and communication. Ultimately, the effort to track time reflects the history of humans trying to gain a better understanding and control of their lives.
A Lesson in Leadership
We always like to tie our travels and history back to leadership. The concept of time and precision is vital for great leaders. Great leaders accomplish great things when they have everything aligned. Success often hinges on ensuring everybody is on time, on task, and on purpose.
If you haven’t yet experienced Bristol, Connecticut, and the incredible history held within the American Clock and Watch Museum, you should definitely check it out.
Uncovering History. Inspiring Leadership. The Travel in Time Show is where travel, history, and leadership intermingle with history teacher, author, and speaker Dan Blanchard
*Check out Dan’s book, “Travel in Time in Connecticut: https://www.amazon.com/Travel-Time-Connecticut-Timeless-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CYM3WB22/
*Watch Dan’s YouTube video on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXdh-yWVSas
Listen to Dan’s podcast on this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7MRcX81saCwsMFJqTRxgVh?si=N5qpPuRHQkyLfcGRmYVbbw
*See Dan’s Interview with Ahmose-Ra, an Ancient Egyptian Timekeeper Sundial Priest: https://granddaddyssecrets.com/travel-in-time-with-dan-37-interview-with-ahmose-ra-timekeeper-sundial-priest-of-ancient-egypt/
*Learn more about Dan: https://granddaddyssecrets.com/