Yup. One EMP and that's all gone.

Good stuff. I recalled this mechanical watch from some time ago, that runs on temperature change during the day:
http://www.jckonline.com/2016/01/20/a...
In looking for it I found this cool one too:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly...

My favorite professor in college used to say that all major engineering (mechanical) developments came from locks, clocks and firearms. Was accurate for a while. As much as people note that such inventions are irrelevant due to modern electronics, this is wrong. These mechanisms may be used for other applications, outside timekeeping. There have been so many times I have personally watched (no pun intended) someone recall technical wisdom from an old design that has been forgotten over a generation gap, but fundamentally applicable to a modern problem, and when this happens, it is generally a solid breakthrough.

Also, the timepiece was critical to navigation. Latitude can be measured by celestial data, but longitude cannot. There is a book called "Longitude" describing the fundamental effect timepieces had on navigation. http://www.amazon.com/Longitude-Geniu...

Good post! Thanks

maybe they can apply this tech to cars, and save a
trainload or two of oil ... maybe! -- j
.

It is certainly going to be an interesting time as our society collapses. We may find that what we are used to relying on - are just gone until the society is rebuilt. We are so interdependent currently and live so far from a basic existence. Just look at our dependence on the internet and computers.

lol.

Reminds me of the scene from Disney's Hercules where the guy jumps out, spreads his cloak and says "Wanna buy a sundial?"

Correct. I am wearing an automatic mechanical watch right now. It has a seven day power reserve and I haven't had to wind it in at least a year.

There is a totally free watch available right now. They call it the SUN. If it came down to it, its accurate enough for most things except perhaps catching planes and trains.

Batteries work when the power goes out, too. The necessity to occasionally replace a battery hasn't resulted in a return to mechanical watches. Maybe if someone wants to pay a lot more for a mechanical watch for what he thinks is luxury, he will pay even more for one he doesn't have to wind as often. But there have been self-winding mechanical watches for decades.

Digital technology is all dependent on batteries. This would still work if the power went out.

And there will always be a market for luxury watches.

As to the technical details, they mentioned they were still working out issues with positioning and shocks, so until they get a working model for sale, it's still theory. Pretty cool theory, just unrealized.

Just in time for the obsolescence of mechanical watches and chronometers decades ago!

Where was this when John Harrison could have used it -- and why was a larger amplitude found to be necessary?