Chronology of events in the electrical, electronic and atomic clock & watch industry

1799-1800 Alessandro Volta invents, then builds the first electric battery. 

1819 H. C. Oersted discovers the magnetic effect of a continuous electrical current. 

1830 First electrostatically driven electric clock: Zamboni. 

1836-1838 John F. Daniel invents and builds the first practical battery (free from rapid polarisation). 

1838-1840 The horologist Alexander Bain designs, constructs and patents the first practicable electromagnetically activated clock. 

1842 After eight years' work, Mathias Hipp unveils his toggle escapement electric clock in which the balance wheel movement is powered by an electromagnet. 

1849 Patent for the electrical winding of a clock. 

1856 Construction of the first electrically wound mechanical clock: Louis-Francois Breguet. 

1857 Electrically driven tuning fork:  J. Lissajous. 

1866 First tuning fork clock: N. Niaudet. 

1873-1878 Design and construction of a phonic wheel motor: P. LaCour and Lord Rayleigh. 

1880 Brothers Pierre and Jacques Curie discover the piezoelectric properties of quartz. 

1888 Discovery by F. Reinitzer of substances subsequently coined by O. Lehmann as liquid crystals. 

1889-1899 Adjustment of timekeeping by means of small synchronous motors: by Thury. 

1897 O'Keenan builds a magnetoelectric motor with an ironless armature assembly, echoing the Deprez-d'Arsonval galvanometer system. 

1905 Schlesser is the first to use a selenium photo-electric cell to drive the vibrations of the balance wheel in a timepiece. 

Patent No. 6066 filed by F. Hope-Jones to drive the balance wheel of a master clock every 30 seconds. 

1906 Lee de Forest filed a patent application for the three-electrode electron tube: the triode. 

1907 Final form of the pendulum clock by F. Hope Jones. 

1915 Application of the piezoelectric effect to the production of ultrasound waves: P. Langevin. 

1917 Theory of the stimulated emission of radiation: A. Einstein. 

1918 Patent for an oscillator comprising a piezoelectric resonator made from Rochelle salt: A. M. Nicholson. 

Y. Bjornstahl discovers in liquid crystals the electro-optical effect known later in 1958 as dynamic scattering. 

Controlling the oscillations of a clockwork pendulum by means of a triode, pick-up coil and drive coil: Abraham & Bloch. 

1918-1919 Electronic tuning fork oscillator: W. H. Eccles. 

1918-1924 Synchronous motors for clocks connected to the mains supply: H. E. Warren. 

1921 Foundation of the Laboratoire Suisse de Recherches Horlogères (LSRH) research laboratory. 

Creation of the free pendulum clock by W. H. Shortt and F. Hope-Jones. These very high precision pendulum clocks were used in observatories throughout the world.

Use of a quartz oscillator as a frequency standard: W. G. Cady. 

1922 G. Friedel divides liquid crystals into three categories: cholesteric, nematic and smectic. 

1928 First quartz watch: W. A. Marrison and J. W. Horton. 

1934 Detection of variations in the Earth's rotation by means of a quartz watch: A. Scheibe and U. Adelsberger, L. Essen. 

1940 Fabrikant invents the maser. 

1948 First ammonia "atomic" clock: H. Lyons. 

First Swiss-made quartz clock (exhibited to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of the Republic and Canton of Neuchâtel): E. Baumann, F. 

Berger and H. Brandenberger. Germanium point-contact transistor: J. Bardeen, W. H. Brattain and W. Shockley. Establishment of Oscilloquartz 

1949 Installation of the first quartz clocks at the Neuchâtel Observatory: Oscilloquartz.

Production of the first batteries for electric wristwatches. 

1952 First electric wristwatches which, though constructed differently, were the result of a collaborative effort between engineers of the two firms Lip and Elgin. 

1953 Patent application filed in Switzerland for a tuning fork wristwatch: M. Hetzel-Bulova/No. 312290.

A patent application filed in France for a watch with transistorised balance wheel movements: Établissements Léon Hatot. 

1954 First prototype of a tuning fork wristwatch: M. Hetzel. 

Silicon solar cell: D. M. Chapin, C. S. Fuller and G. L. Pearson. 

1955 Construction of the first ammonia MASER at the LSRH.

Installation of several quartz clocks at the Paris Observatory: Oscilloquartz. 

Operational start-up of the first cesium beam frequency standard: L. Essen and J. V. L. Parry. 

1958 The LSRH ammonia maser is exhibited at the Brussels Universal Exhibition. 

1959 Filing of a patent application for the integrated circuit: J. S. Kilby. 

1960 Initial development of the atomic hydrogen maser: N. Ramsey, M. Goldenberg and D. Kleppner.

The construction of a long cesium beam resonator means that the LSRH has one of the best atomic standards in the world.

Launch by Bulova of the Accutron calibre. 

1961 Quartz marine chronometers entered for the first time in the Neuchâtel Observatory Competition: Patek Philippe and Oscilloquartz.

The study of an atomic hydrogen maser was undertaken at the Laboratoire Suisse de Recherches Horlogères (LSRH) research laboratory: C. Menoud, J. Racine, P. Kartaschoff. 

1962 Filing of a patent application for an electronic watch: P. Vogel & Cie.

Establishment of the Centre Électronique Horloger (CEH) at Neuchâtel.

Start of the development of cesium beam atomic clocks by Oscilloquartz.

Commissioning of an atomic hydrogen maser at the Laboratoire Suisse de Recherches Horlogères (LSRH) research laboratory: C. Menoud, J. Racine, P. Kartaschoff. 

1964 Establishment of Centredoc: Scientific and technical documentation centre for the Swiss watch industry. 

1966 Marketing of the Dynotron with electronically controlled balance and spring assembly.

Production of the first prototype of a quartz wristwatch, dubbed Beta 1, by the Centre Électronique Horloger of Neuchâtel.

Delivery of Oscillatom, the first cesium beam atomic clock, to ESRO's Kiruna station (Sweden): Oscilloquartz.

1967 A time server driven by the cesium beam atomic clock Oscillatom keeps time at the Montreal Universal Exhibition: Oscilloquartz. 

Quartz wristwatches entered for the first time in the Neuchâtel Observatory Competition: CEH and Seiko. (The top 10 places go to the CEH.) 

The 13th General Weights and Measures Conference passes the following resolution: "The second is the duration of 9192 631 770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom." 

Patent application filed in Switzerland for a resonant motor for a portable quartz timepiece: CEH/N? 564226. 

1968 Application of dynamic scattering to display devices: G. H. Heilmeier. 

1969 Marketing of the Pulsar light emitting diode (LED) quartz wristwatch: Hamilton. 

Marketing of the MOSABA compensated tuning fork wristwatch: Ebauches SA. 

1970 Market launch of a quartz watch with a Beta 21 calibre movement: CEH (Centre Électronique Horloger).

Patent application filed in the USA for a wristwatch with a light emitting diode display: Hamilton/N? 3672155.

1971 The 14th General Weights and Measures Conference adopts the resolution relating to the International Atomic Time scale.

Twisted nematic field effect mode liquid crystal display cell: M. Schadt and W. Helfrich. 

1972 First dynamic scattering liquid crystal watch: Optel.

First wristwatch with field effect mode liquid crystal quartz display: Gruen Teletime.

A prototype of an electrochromic display watch is unveiled at the Basel Fair: Ebauches SA.

First wristwatch with permanent digital display of hours, minutes, seconds and date by dynamic scattering liquid crystals: Longines-Ebauches SA.

1974 First quartz wristwatch with solar battery: Ness-Time Synchronar. 

1975 First hybrid watch (LCD-LED): Longines.

Patent application filed in Switzerland for the first fully electronic hybrid LCD-LED chronograph: Chronosplit by Heuer/No 583.936.

First quartz wrist watch with liquid crystal analogue display: Suncrux. 

Patent application filed in the USA for a hybrid analogue display wristwatch incorporating a stepping motor and light emitting diodes: Zenith/No 3.945.191. 

1976 Patent application filed in Germany for the first quartz alarm wristwatch: Citizen/DOS 2.628.141. 

1977 Launch of multifunctional quartz wristwatches such as:

the Pulsar watch for monitoring heart rate; 

the Hughes memory watch.