The Pierhead clock has become so iconic in Wales that it is featured in the opening sequence of the Welsh TV news each day. The original bell bearing the Welsh inscription ‘Gwell angau na chywilydd’ (Death before dishonour) is no longer used but displayed in the Pierhead building. Combined with a zinc / iron pendulum to compensate for seasonal temperature changes, this gives exceptional accuracy all year round. The double three - legged gravity escapement uses gravitational forces to provide impulse to the pendulum. The clock mechanism was made by William Potts and Sons of Leeds, with an escapement modelled on that of Big Ben in London. The Pierhead building was originally built in 1897 as a Docks Office for the Marquess of Bute. There is one exception – The time is reset on New Year’s Eve so midnight celebrations are on time, then reset the next day. While the hotel no longer has any connection to rail travel, the odd timekeeping has become a city tradition and remains unchanged. Initially this was calculated to allow passengers extra time needed to buy tickets and board trains out of the city. The North British Railway Company who owned the hotel deliberately set the clock to run three minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean time. Aside from its commanding appearance, the clock is notable for a unique reason – it almost always tells the wrong time. One of the most famous landmarks of the Scottish capital, the turret clock on Princes Street is visible across the city. The original bell, a gift from the Abbot of the Knights of St. It also displays the time of high tide at London Bridge, the safest time for members of the court to travel by barge. These not only show the hour, day and month, but also the phases of the moon, signs of the zodiac and the (pre Copernican) movement of the sun. The highly decorative face is over three metres in diameter and consists of three concentric copper dials revolving at different speeds. Designed by the Bavarian horologist and astronomer Nicholas Kratzer, it was made by the French clockmaker to Hampton Court Nichloas Oursian in 1540. Once a royal palace of Henry VIII, Hampton Court boasts one of the most impressive astronomical clocks outside mainland Europe. This gave us the opportunity to highlight at least one lesser-known clock that is just as worthy of a place in our list. While Big Ben might be notable by its absence, it has already featured in our top ten most famous clocks from around the world. Others feature ingenious technical elements or striking and even humorous designs, demonstrating the creativity of British clockmakers up to the present day. Some are important historic artifacts, closely tied to the culture and events of their host cities. As a result, we have chosen these examples as a showcase of those we consider worthy of interest. ![]() ![]() With our rich and prolific history of clockmaking, picking our favourite famous UK clocks is no mean feat.
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