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MJ
@heymj99.bsky.social

“some well known clock”? Like Cogsworth from Beauty & the Beast? I’d guess he’s the most well known clock that I’m aware of.

Richard
@rspian.bsky.social

There's a clock in Bristol UK with two minute hands, one for GMT and one for the local Bristol time (which was 10 minutes behind). The second minute hand was added with the introduction of a standard railway time.

EssayWells
@essaywells.bsky.social

For the very good reason that until then the local time was correct - noon is at noon - and that the agreement is required to use *somewhere else's* noon instead of your own. You have to reach quite high speeds of transport and communication routinely before that idea even makes sense.

Chaxinitus
@chaxinitus.bsky.social

Nah your phrasing works, 1883 was when railroads adopted it and it says it was not immediately embraced by all, so it did take until 1918 (and a legal declaration) for them to formally agree

Christyna
@christyna-unless.bsky.social

Prior to railroads a) requiring schedules that could be understood by everyone and b) connecting relatively distant locations, there was really no need to standardize time from one city to the next

Jännät
@jaennaet.fi

Meanwhile in Finland we hadn't even agreed on cardinal directions (north, south, etc) in the early 20th century, let alone time

Nivet
@nivet.bsky.social

Very interesting read. Reminds me of when France switched to metric time, and no one really used it. My personal idea is that people would have their waking hours and business hours published somewhere. That could vary by month, especially in places like melbourne, for sure.