Wind up clocks are still popular especially with alarm clocks.  The mainspring is what powers the clock and if you are sick of waking up late or missing an important meeting then wind up clocks will not desert you when the electricity or batteries do.

There are two parts to a wind up clock and they are the spring which is usually a steel coil and the torsion pendulum which is another spring.

The main popular types of clocks that have wind up mechanisms are alarm  clocks, cuckoo clocks, mantle clocks and pendulum clocks.

To wind up your clock turn it over and you will find the visible knobs or in older clocks it may even be a key.   If you have an alarm clock make it a rule to give it a wind every night before you go to sleep.  Don't worry about over-winding it as that is a myth.   You will probably find you can only wind it so far anyway.

The cost of wind up clocks vary with the most inexpensive being the alarm clocks and the most expensive being the larger and sometimes antique or unique pendulum or mantle clocks.

If you have a wind up clock you will never have to worry about electrical blackouts or flat batteries again and you are reducing the battery waste so helping the environment as well.  See some of the clocks below for a great bargain.

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SESSIONS TAMBOR MANTLE CHIME CLOCK W/KEY WORKS GOOD

1 Bid

US $35.00

15h 21m

Wooden Parlor clock 15-day key wound, chimes, perfect & affordable gift! LQQK !

US $93.95

15h 21m

LED Music Color-Change Light Projector Alarm Clock #HZ

0 Bid

US $.99

13h 31m

Daylight saving time started for most of the United States and Canada on Sunday, 8 March 2009 at 2 am and will revert to standard time on Sunday, 1 November 2009.  Europe though as a whole started the last Sunday of March and finishes the last Sunday of October so they a few weeks less than the US.

In the Southern Hemisphere daylight saving will starts in October with Australia starting Sunday, 4 October at 2 am.  New Zealand started on 27 September at 2 am while Chile starts on 11 October at midnight and Argentina and Brazil on 18 October also at midnight.

Moving clocks forward at the beginning of daylight saving and then back at the end can be confusing if you try and convert the time back to standard time.  You hear people commenting "It's really only 10 am and not 11 am" when it's easier to accept the current time and adjust your life accordingly.

It may be a hassle changing the clocks if you have many in the house like I do, besides the many watches and even the cell phones, but remember it's only twice a year you need to do this.  Why not mark it on your calendar to change the clocks, watches and the even the smoke detectors that way you can't forget.

If you wake up at the same time everyday then you will probably wake up at standard time for awhile so make sure you set your alarm clock until your internal one catches up.  I make sure by having two alarm clocks for about a month so that I am not late for work.

Just don't forget to change the clock.

There are many different types of clocks.  They include digital, analog, electric, neon and atomic but also come in many styles such as:

Cuckoo clocks
Cuckoo clocks were first made around the 17th century in Germany and are mainly made of wood. They are typically pendulum driven and when it strikes the hour, small bellows and pipes strike a wire gong and sound like a cuckoo bird.

Atomic clocks
The first atomic  clock was made in 1949.  This type of clock uses the oscillation of between the nucleus and electrons of atoms to act as a pendulum does in a normal clock.  They use to be very expensive but now range from around $30.

Grandfather clocks
Grandfather clocks are pendulum driven and are in tall wooden cases.  They are free standing are are up to 8 feet tall but are usually around 6 feet in height.  They were first called long case clocks.

Wall clocks
The most common clocks are those that we see hanging on walls.  They are almost everywhere including public places like hotels, banks and offices as well as in kitchens like in your own home.

Alarm clocks
Most people would have an alarm clock in their bedroom and also you see them as timers in the kitchen and there are even clocks in our appliances that are alarm clocks.  These clocks have a built in alarm causing the clock to automatically buzz or ring.

World clocks
The world clock is one that displays the current time in different time zones around the world.  You often see them at airports, train stations and other places travelers would congregate.