• Detail view of the Harrison Clock mechanism. Harrison used dense and oil-rich lignum vitae because it required no lubrication.
    Detail view of the Harrison Clock mechanism. Harrison used dense and oil-rich lignum vitae because it required no lubrication.
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The focal point of this fascinating video is the Harrison Clock, made in 1727 and one of only three precision pendulum clocks made by John Harrison that survive.

So what you may say, but the accuracy of the wood mechanisms Harrison made was unprecedented. Over a period of decades, Harrison’s clocks were instrumental in solving the longitude problem. Advances made then in maritime navigation relate to technology used in today’s satnav systems.

In his quest to understand Harrison’s creation, the presenter of this BBC documentary sets out to make a wooden clock with the aid of a pole lathe.

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