Over the course of horological history, we have seen a multitude of innovations. These have ranged from the mighty to the miniscule, whether it be improving mechanical efficiency or an advancement in the materials that make the inner workings or the outer cases of a watch.

While we tend to mark this progress over the centuries in individual innovations within horology, it is obvious that this industry, like any other, has never existed in a vacuum. In fact, the form and function of our timekeepers have been shaped by the forces of our constant progress as a species. Every now and again, when the winds of change have blown stronger than usual, clock and watchmakers have been forced to reimagine the very meaning of their trade. Often when talking about horological innovations during what is a significant span of time, we tend to lose perspective of the wider world that made them possible.

We will consider some of the disciplines, from navigation to aviation and astronomy to metallurgy, that have time and again lent key technical innovations to horology. We will consider some of these key disciplines to the exclusion of one notable example: motoring. This is not because we are discounting the scale of the discipline’s influence on horology. On the contrary – we think that motoring has had such an influence that its connection to horology is now a foregone conclusion. This nexus has already been written and talked about at great length and detail. Instead, we will be offering overviews on the myriad of other influences that have left their mark on horology.

From ancient history, knowledge of the general time of day has served to provide order. In the earliest eras, this was done by simply observing the position of the sun as it traversed the sky. Devices such as a graduated sundial with a gnomon (a simple stick) were born out of our predecessors’ earliest scientific effort to regiment the day in the 8th century BC. Predating the sundial, the gnomon placed parallel to the polar axis of the planet, cast a moving shadow as the sun made its daily journey across the sky. The graduated sector of the sundial in the shadow indicated the hour of the day. Several civilisations of the era, such as the Greeks, Romans and Arabs, created their own iterations, their innovations driven by the unique needs of their people. Arab Muslims, for instance, were driven to this accuracy by their need to know prayer times.

However, the technology had its obvious limitations. As Theodore Diehl, spokesperson and horologist at Richard Mille, points out, “Sundials were very accurate devices, perfectly suitable for the times in which they were used, however, they were of course unable to signal the passage of time”. In an era before personal timepieces, this was essential. This effort to democratise timekeeping provided the impetus for the creation of large, mechanical clocks. Diehl adds, “The goal was societal timing. Without even seeing [the time], such clocks would tell you it’s time to go to church, it’s time for t