Accurate timekeeping supports much of our modern world. Global positioning systems, for example, need to be accurate to within about a billionth of a second in order to keep users from getting lost. Satellites for these systems rely on high precision measurements coming from atomic clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory. GPS are also used for synchronizing digital networks like cell phones and the NTP servers needed to maintain the internet. An atomic clock.. Read More

Just about everyone has a favorite pair of blue jeans. What wardrobe would be complete without a great pair of jeans? Most of us rarely notice that “extra pocket” on the right side of our jeans. Since it has always been there, we don’t give it a second thought. How many of us really know what it was designed for?? The fifth pocket was introduced in the 1800s as a.. Read More

The Omega Seamaster may be most quickly recognized as the “James Bond watch,” but the watch’s history dates back to 1948 when it debuted in celebration of Omega’s 100th anniversary. The model was an immediate hit and became the brand’s best seller. Today it remains the oldest model in Omega’s current collection. The first Omega Seamaster was modeled after the waterproof wristwatches made for and worn by the British military during World War.. Read More

Invented around 1974 and patented in 1980 by English watchmaker George Daniels, the co-axial escapement is a modification of the lever escapement. Considered to be one of the most significant horological advancements since the invention of the lever escapement, the co-axial escapement functions with a system of three pallets that separate the locking function from the impulse, avoiding the sliding friction of the lever escapement. This makes lubrication of the pallets unnecessary and thereby eliminates one.. Read More