Smartphones relegate time-telling devices to history

Having information about time was very important for humans to achieve the goals of development in the world.

For this reason, humans have consistently strived to create better and more accurate clocks throughout history. Until a few decades ago, watches were a fundamental necessity, and wearing a wristwatch had become a cultural norm.

With the passage of time, the use of watches declined. In Pakistan, watches are now mostly seen in wedding ceremonies. While mobile phones have eliminated many other items, they have also made these time-telling devices a part of history.

For centuries, man's efforts to measure time were limited to knowing the shadows created by the movement of the sun, moon and stars. With time, the size of watches became smaller and their beauty and innovation also improved. France has taken the lead in making beautiful watches around the world, which started introducing famous watches in the 16th century. German table clocks were also famous in the world.

Graz and Nuremberg were famous centres for Clocks. Vienna also gained fame in decorative clocks. The use of clocks started in Europe in the 14th century AD.

The first traces of a clock are found in Milan, Italy, in 1335. Later, in 1370, a similar clock was also invented in England, but both of them no longer exist. One of the oldest clock makers in Europe was a French brand that was established around 1779 AD.

Another brand in Britain came into being around 1386 AD.

Towards the end of the 15th century, spring-powered clocks replaced weights. These clocks worked mechanically on their own. They were based on Galileo's observations.

In these clocks, the pendulum kept swinging at equal intervals. It was a great invention, but one flaw was that this clock could not be used in ships. Because it was not practical at sea at that time.

In 1657, work was done on a swinging spring instead of a pendulum. Keeping this research in mind, small clocks and watches came into existence around 1675 AD with the help of a spiral spring and a balance wheel.

Sarfaraz Mughal, a watchmaker from Islamabad, says his family ancestors belonged to India but they settled in Lahore after the partition. "My father Niaz Muhammad moved to Islamabad for a government job, so he received training in watchmaking. I learned the skill of watchmaking from my father along with my education." In a conversation with The Express Tribune, Sarfaraz Mughal say he wants to pursue watchmaking as a career.

He asserted that the trend of watches is on the rise in Pakistan. "Earlier, there used to be one wall clock in a house, but now a wall clock is installed in every room."

The equipment used in the repair of keyed and digital watches is imported from China. Dealers in Karachi and Lahore are associated with the business of import of watch equipment, he said.