Hang On...this Isn't A Watch....

[mwilkes]

Chap was selling an 'automatic pocket watch' on the bay, he'd no idea how it worked, and the photos were pretty fuzzy...

 

I hadn't seen anything like it, so I took a punt on it...

 

 

 

Turns out it's actually a Victorian Pedometer - those are miles not hours!

 

The astute observer will notice that the divisions of the "hours" are quarters, not fifths...

 

After a bit of cleaning and adjusting, it's a rather nice little thing! 

 

 

The 'pendulum' rotates the steel ratchet wheel.

 

 

Calibrating it is going to be good exercise - I've walked 9 1/4 miles so far...

 

Apparently Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd US president, is credited with its invention, or at least its introduction to the US...

[ro63rto]

Very interesting piece of history.

Never seen one before.

[bobm12]

Me neither and I may not have become the astute observer until I counted the lines...on cue. :)

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[WillFly]

Well, that's the first one of those I've seen close up - what a cute little thing.

 

Wish I had one to measure how far it is to the pub and back.

[Mark]

Never seen one either - very interesting!

 

Wish I had one to measure how far it is to the pub and back.

 

Tip: Returning from the pub is always twice as far as going to the pub - but sometimes longer :D