Right on time!

The pendulum clock ‘slingerklok’ was a major breakthrough in timekeeping and helped make clocks much more accurate. Before its invention, most clocks were not very precise and could be off by several minutes each day. The pendulum clock, however, changed that, and a Dutch scientist played a big role in this invention.

In 1656, Christiaan Huygens, a brilliant Dutch mathematician and physicist, designed the first working pendulum clock. Huygens discovered that a swinging pendulum could be used to keep very regular time. The steady back-and-forth motion of the pendulum allowed clocks to be accurate to within seconds per day, which was a huge improvement compared to earlier clocks.

Huygens worked with clockmakers to create the first pendulum clock, which became popular across Europe. His design used the natural rhythm of the pendulum’s swing to regulate the movement of the clock’s gears and hands. This made clocks much more reliable and helped people manage their time better. Pendulum clocks were used in homes, churches, and public buildings to keep accurate time.

The invention of the pendulum clock also made it easier for sailors to navigate at sea, as more accurate timekeeping helped with mapping out their location. Huygens’ pendulum clock was so successful that it remained the most precise way to keep time for over 200 years, until newer technologies like quartz clocks were invented.

Christiaan Huygens transformed how people kept time, making it much more accurate and reliable for everyone

​Are you right on time?