Chapter 1128 - Clockmaking

This crude wooden prototype marked the birth of Lingao's clockmaking industry. It employed a pendulum regulator invented in 1656 and a free escapement mechanism that would not appear until 1765. Gazing upon the successfully operating Number 3 test machine, Zhong Lishi thought of Galileo, who had first discovered the laws of pendular motion, and tears streamed unbidden down his face. At this very moment, the venerable astronomer was suffering persecution by the Roman Curia, his final years spent in humiliation and confinement. When Zhong Lishi finally emerged from the sweltering test tower, drenched as though he had stepped from a bathhouse, no one noticed he had been weeping. Only Zhong Xiaoying, bringing her Honorable Father his evening meal, perceived his melancholy.

"Honorable Father..." She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You seem troubled."

"I was thinking of someone," he murmured. "A venerable predecessor. A master."

He grasped his adopted daughter's hand unconsciously—soft and warm. The simple touch soothed him.

Building upon the Number 3 test device, Zhong Lishi added a gear train to establish the relationship between minute and hour hands, redesigned the pendulum length, and calibrated its period with precision. He incorporated additional sandbags and a weight-winding mechanism with a ratchet. Thus was born the Number 4 test device—the first truly usable prototype.

From this foundation, Zhong Lishi designed and constructed a complete clock tower mechanism. The working components were cast in bronze to ensure durability, with elastic elements fashioned from phosphor bronze. Since this remained a prototype, all parts were individually machined by Science Department Committee members, with some pieces sent to the Mechanical Processing Factory for professional fabrication. There was, as yet, no concept of tolerance control—for a considerable period, each clock tower mechanism would be unique, with its own incremental improvements.

While the mechanism took shape, the Lingao Construction Company erected an experimental clock tower featuring a brick-arch structure with excellent weather protection and ventilation. The tower stood west of Taibai Observatory, on ground that would eventually become the permanent clock workshop.

Zhong Lishi personally supervised the installation. This mechanism was designated YZB-1, also called the Weight-Pendulum Type 1. It served purely as a timepiece, displaying only minute and hour hands. To improve operational stability, both hands bore counterweights at their tails, ensuring the rotational axis remained centered at the center of gravity. This prevented the mechanism from being affected by eccentricity when the hands rotated on the tower's vertical face.

Three Weight-Pendulum Type 1 mechanisms were built in succession, each incorporating modifications. Large tower clocks differed substantially from watches, and Zhong Lishi experimented with designs that departed from watchmaking conventions. For the power section, he tested the driving wheel at different positions in the gear train, comparing the advantages and drawbacks of each arrangement. For the pallet fork assembly, where the jewels and escapement wheel experienced the greatest friction, he deviated from standard practice. In watches, pallet jewels were typically made of ruby—harder than the wheel—because replacing a wheel was more convenient than replacing jewels. But in large mechanisms, the jewels were substantial and easily replaced, while large escapement wheels were expensive to manufacture. Therefore, Zhong Lishi experimented with replaceable jewels made of slightly softer material than the bronze wheel, sacrificing the cheaper component to protect the costlier one.

The Weight-Pendulum Type 1 drew power from four sets of weights, each wound through chain-driven winding wheels. Multiple weights were employed to mitigate torque fluctuations during winding, reducing the impact on timekeeping accuracy. The winding wheels had twice the diameter of the weight drive wheels—a deliberate choice to reduce the effort required. The drive wheels incorporated ratchets similar to bicycle freewheels, permitting only counterclockwise winding while the weight wheels rotated clockwise during operation. Large clock mechanisms generated considerable power, and all weights had to be released before servicing to ensure maintenance personnel safety. Signs posted beneath the mechanism warned against standing directly below—the same principle as the prohibition against lingering under crane arms.

After a month of testing, the three Weight-Pendulum Type 1 mechanisms were officially placed into service. Dr. Zhong had never intended for these prototypes to leave the workshop—he had planned to retain only the one in the experimental tower for teaching purposes. But the Planning Committee objected to discarding them: producing these three mechanisms alone had consumed enormous amounts of skilled Committee technicians' labor. So two were installed in previously vacant clock towers. The Weight-Pendulum Type 1 had only one clock face and no illumination; later modifications added nighttime lighting systems.

Experience vindicated the bronze construction. Though minor issues arose, the mechanisms operated reliably under proper maintenance. After thirty consecutive years of service, these three Weight-Pendulum Type 1 mechanisms were finally retired. As the ancestors of Aussong clockmaking, they became the crowning treasures of museums.

On the fourth mechanism, Zhong Lishi introduced major modifications: dual synchronized clock faces and a simple hourly striking mechanism to ring a bronze bell on the hour. This basic timekeeping device could produce only a single chime. Despite its limitations, this mechanism was designated the Weight-Pendulum Type 2.

The Weight-Pendulum Type 2 had just been installed on the experimental clock tower and was undergoing testing. Dr. Zhong remained unsatisfied with this model—it was merely proof of concept, confirmation that his approach could work.

"Does the bell ring every hour?" He glanced at a workshop clock. With its porcelain-fired face, wooden case, and brass hands, it would have passed for contemporary craftsmanship in this timeline. Indeed, it had been assembled by the Science Department's clock workshop. But concealed within was a quartz movement from another era.

Behind the clock, wires protruded conspicuously, connecting to a wooden box that housed the "Zhong Number 1" battery—Dr. Zhong's own invention. Lingao had no dry batteries; the only option was external power for quartz clocks.

In the old timeline, quartz clocks had been synonymous with cheap mass production—ordinary finished units retailed for mere dozens of yuan. Yet in timekeeping accuracy, they utterly surpassed all mechanical watches. Before D-Day, the Committee had stockpiled substantial quantities of timing equipment: finished clocks and watches, but also many loose components. A large portion consisted of quartz movements and quartz oscillators. Cases were manufactured locally to economize precious ship space.

These locally assembled quartz clocks were distributed to workshops requiring precise timekeeping. As controlled materials, each was numbered. Apart from Committee members and authorized Science Department staff, no one else was permitted to touch them.

The reason Zhong Lishi valued quartz clocks so highly was simple: they were the most accurate timekeeping devices they possessed. A proper timekeeping system required precise reference standards. When he had originally proposed purchasing large quantities of quartz oscillators, his intention was to manufacture standard calibrators for this timeline, using the semiconductor components they had brought as amplifiers until the electronic elements failed.

Dr. Zhong's plan envisioned the quartz calibrator as the master standard, from which a tier of high-precision mechanical calibrators would be derived. Locally produced timepieces would then be calibrated against these mechanical standards. This hierarchical calibration system was essential for maintaining accuracy across the growing network of clocks. In the old timeline, radio time signals had served this purpose. Lingao could not yet implement such a system; they would have to rely on calibrators.

"Yes, Honorable Father. Your daughter listened every hour, and it chimed each time." Zhong Xiaoying spoke respectfully, presenting a clipboard with records of the precise time of each chime.

Zhong Lishi examined the data. Each chime lagged slightly behind the quartz clock's displayed time—some by one or two seconds. This discrepancy exceeded what could be attributed to sound propagation. He had tested after installation, and the timekeeping error had not been this pronounced. Clearly, the striking mechanical transmission still had problems.

"The transmission needs work," Dr. Zhong muttered, setting down the clipboard. He looked toward the rain-streaked windows—the downpour showed no sign of abating. Inspecting the mechanism would have to wait until morning.

He scribbled a note on his pad: "Install a covered corridor between the workshop and experimental clock tower."

It was now eleven o'clock. Zhong Lishi planned to calibrate the time at Taibai Observatory at midnight. There was still some time. Looking at the pile of parts and drawings on his desk, Dr. Zhong resolved to continue prototyping the mechanical calibrator.

(End of Chapter)