Abt. XV. — On the Performance of Some Timekeepers. 

 By E. J. White, F.R.A.S. 



[Bead 14th September, 1882.] 



At the International Exhibition held in Melbourne in 1880- 

 1881, there was a fine display of clocks and watches of 

 nearly every kind, as almost every country celebrated for 

 their manufacture was well represented. The principal 

 deficiency was with the clocks ; of these the English sent 

 few specimens, and the principal part of the American 

 exhibit was lost by shipwreck. It became part of my duty, 

 as a juror, to examine these, and from my position in the 

 Observatory I had to take part in their testing. The result 

 has been published in the Official Record of the Exhibition. 

 I have been several times asked, however, whether the 

 method of testing adopted, in which the watches were kept 

 in stands, was a proper trial for an article like a watch, 

 which is generally carried in the pocket, and is, therefore, 

 subjected to all the motions of the body ; that these motions 

 are anything but slight, even in inactive persons, may be 

 proved by a ride in a vehicle along the St. Kilda Road. 

 My interest having been excited, and having unusual 

 facilities for the purpose at the Observatory, I determined to 

 test some watches in what may be called a natural way — 

 that is, whilst being worn during the day and put under 

 the pillow or hung up at night. For this purpose 

 I purchased one or two of the fine watches from the 

 Exhibition ; these, together with one in my possession 

 before, and some confided to me by friends for regulating, 

 formed the subjects of my trials, the results of which, 

 together with a few others from different sources, form the 

 subject of my paper to night. 



Nearly all the timekeepers of the present day may be 

 divided into two classes — clocks and watches ; the former, 

 I shall call those which have their motions regulated by a 

 pendulum, controlled by gravity ; and the latter, those 

 whose motions are regulated by a spring governed by its 

 elasticity. Many of these latter are commonly called clocks, 

 such as carriage clocks, lever clocks, &c; they are, however, 



