Who Invented the Alarm Clock

From LoveToKnow Watches

Watch collectors and timepiece enthusiasts from around the world often discuss who invented the alarm clock. For such an ancient technology, it's very difficult to pinpoint whether any individual can be legitimately called its inventor.

Deciding Who Invented The Alarm Clock

A wide variety of alarm clocks were invented throughout the history of the human race. From the water clocks of ancient Egypt and Babylon to the bedside alarm clocks of the late 1800s, humans have always been obsessed with marking the passage of time.

The Ancient Alarm Clock

The Greeks first invented a working alarm clock around 250 BC, when they created a water clock, also known as a "clepsydra." The Greeks used an intricate design of pulleys and wheels so that a float would rise and fall with the water, automating the "machinery," and through a gear system maintain time on a disk on the front of the clock. At a certain point in the evolution of this clock, Greek inventors applied a bell to the gear system or balls that would drop into a large basin underneath, making this the world's first known alarm clock. These early alarm clocks made their way throughout Rome, and eventually throughout Europe during the Middle Ages.

The Evolution of The Mechanical Alarm Clock

The earliest known alarm clocks that didn't use water were created in Nuremberg, Germany in the fifteenth century. The very first was an iron German wall clock with a driving weight that would fall onto a bronze bell. Another early alarm clock was the tall grandfather clock, invented in 1690 by Joseph Knibb. This impressive clock was a 30 hour clock with hanging alarm bells.

The First U.S. Alarm Clocks

Once these early clockmakers came to the United States in the eighteenth century, the alarm clock came with them. The first American alarm clock was invented in 1787 by Levi Hutchins of Concord, New Hampshire. By all accounts, Levi's alarm clock was an impressive timepiece, but the alarm could only go off at four a.m. It wasn't exactly the most functional alarm clock, but for farmers who worked the fields in the morning, the clock was perfect. The following events marked the progression of alarm clock technology in the United States:

In the 1820's, Grafton, Massachusetts inventor Simon Willard created his famous "lighthouse clock" alarm clocks, which evolved into the many wooden and brass mantle and shelf alarm clocks of the early 1800s.

In 1876, Seth Thomas patented the very first wind-up, bedside alarm clock which could be set to alarm at any hour.

In 1908, Westclox received a patent for the "bell-back" alarm clock, known as the "Big Ben" clock.

By 1949, Westclox had invented both the chime alarm and the "Moonbeam," which would flash a light as well as alarm.

In 1956, GE-Telechron created the "snooze alarm" that allowed owners to push out the alarm time for five to ten minutes.

There are countless variations and varieties of alarm clocks from every decade, both mechanical and electric. A person only needs to visit an antiques auction to discover a wide range of mantle, shelf, and bedside alarm clocks of every shape, size, and vintage.

So Who Invented the Alarm Clock?

The inventor of the very first alarm clock was the first Greek who created the intricate design for the ancient water clock that could set off alarm sounds, usually a bell of some sort. Many believe that this inventor was none other than Plato himself. The honor of inventing the first non-water powered alarm clocks go to the Germans, while the inventor of the first American alarm clock was certainly Levi Hutchins.

Regardless where the first alarm clock was made, or who created it, the concept of an alarm clock represents the innate need of humanity to not only align a life to the flow of hours and minutes, but also to use the ability to convert that passage of time into a mechanical movement that can wake someone from their slumber. This is certainly a technological feat as impressive as electricity and running indoor water.