The Secret Life of Machines - Season 2 Episode 3 The Secret Life of the Quartz Watch
7.60 30 minutes All clocks and watches work by 'counting' some event which takes a fixed period of time, like the swings of a pendulum. The higher it goes the stronger the pull of gravity and the faster it comes back - so the swings always take a fixed time. The Quartz crystal in a watch vibrates at a fixed speed in a similar way.
Episode Contents:
Models: A stick. Demonstration of liquid crystal technology with metal coated glass plates and polarized sunglasses.
Machines: Many of Tim's large outdoor clocks. A water clock by Rex.
Guests: A 400 year old pendulum alarm clock. Various antique pocket watches. Different watch models track the evolution of quartz and digital watches.
Films: Goofy 1940's wristwatch commercial ("Hey kids come on a running!") Almost as silly 70's ad for the first bulky LED watch.
Extro: Oven door blooper and a melting digital watch.
