Questions of Time

Ever wonder why the Roman numeral IIII rather than the more common IV (4) is stamped on a watch dial? Or why clockwise is clockwise? Then hie yourself over to the British Horological Institute, guardian of just about everything you ever wanted to know about timepieces.

BHI's Web site deals in Bulle clocks and Gustav Becker clocks, chimes and carillons, historical notes on enameling dials, plus silvering and soldering tips if you want to set up your own clock and watch workshop. Even horology has a darker side, as a link to Poisons in Horology will reveal.

For watches, there are links to checking jeweled-lever escapements, automatic mainsprings and how to lubricate a quartz watch. For clocks, there are the 400-day varieties, methods for replacing a pivot, how to transport a grandfather's clock, hints for fumigating the case and how to remove the smoky smells.

As for the IIII vs. IV debate, it seems the Romans and a bit of religious superstition are to blame -- or at least that's one explanation. And the reason clockwise is just that is that early thinkers about keeping time noted that the shadow cast by a stick in the ground moved left to right as the sun moved through the sky.

Mysteries solved!