World Clocks

There are different types of time zones you can find, in which the majority of them are one hour apart. Each nation has a unique standard time zone that follows specified commands regarding longitude. A country’s standard time zone categorizes either into UCT or GMT. There is no time variance between the two standards. There are twenty-four time zones that associate with the twenty-four hours each day. For instance, the United Kingdom sets the standard for GMT at 0, in which other nations compute their time zone about the number of hours they are behind or ahead of the United Kingdom. Since people’s sense of time is based on planetary motion, world clocks help in effective communication and travelling by displaying precise time for different regions across the world.

World clocks are devices that depict the time for different cities across the globe. They may comprise many round analogue clocks that have moving hands or several digital clocks accompanied with numeric readouts. Each of these clocks has a label of the name of a major city or the different time zones in the world. You can also find clocks as a picture map of the world that incorporates digital or analogue-time displays. In this case, people get a rotating circular map of the world that moves inside a stationary twenty-four-hour dial ring. The light projection is in use to depict daytime in the picture map. Owing to their perfect time-telling accuracy, world clocks are an appropriate point of reference for entrepreneurs and explorers.

History of world clocks

The world time clock came into existence in 1969, prior to the 20th anniversary of the Berlin TV Tower and the German Democratic Republic. The invention of the time zone clock was associated with the initiative of expanding Alexanderplatz. Alexanderplatz is a public transport and square hub that is in the Mitte district of Berlin. The first world wall clock was designed by Erich John, who was a part of the planning group for the expansion of the square. The design of the clock follows the discovery of a wrecked pre-world II public clock in 1966. The construction of the first world clock necessitated the input of over 120 engineers and other experts. Hence, other cities have continued to be incorporated into the world clock since its discovery.

Types of world clocks

After its invention in 1969, great advancements came into existence on the clock’s design, size, and shape. This has caused a wide variety of clocks to meet the needs of an extensive clientele base. The Geochron World Clock is the major international time zone clock. It includes a word map depicting the 24 time zones with a changing light pattern. On the other hand, the international time zone clocks employ one display to indicate the time in all regions. Others have an LCD and a keypad for choosing the time in a specific city. Multiple time zone desk clocks have 24- or 12-hour analogue clock dials that depict the time in a specified number of locations. Based on the purpose of the world clocks, clients get a chance to select their desired design and size.

Functions of world clocks

Clocks are common in different places including homes, offices, worship centres among other important institutions. People carry small watches in the pocket or on the wrist while large ones such as world time buddy are there in public places, including churches and railways. The main purpose of clocks is to display time for different time zones across the globe. Some of the designs have the aptitude to make a loud alert signal when displaying the time for a specified region. World clocks for offices are essential in companies that have established hubs around the world. The dual clock helps effective communication with expatriates for efficient management of the company. Explorers use world clocks to understand the most apposite time to travel to a specified location.

Defining features of a world clock

The primary element of the best clock is the huge 24-sided column. Each side of the column is there to depict the 24 time zones. The column has the names of major cities that follow the time zones indicated on the clock. A wind rose is often engraved below the column, which serves the purpose of holding up the clock. A world clock consists of four smaller analogue clocks that lie on the side of the column that holds the rotunda in position. When the world clock functions properly, it is often in motion. The motion is only readable in time-lapse recordings since it is too slow for human eyes to make any observations. To know the exact time of a certain region, one observes and notes the number on the side of the icosahedron that is parallel to the city you look for.