In this day and age digital clocks are more prevalent than ever. But you may still have an antique mechanical clock kicking around your home. Have you ever wondered how it works? Mechanical clocks tell the time using gears and several other important parts that keep it going. The accuracy depends on the upkeep of the mechanism as well as your consistency in winding on a daily basis.

Unlike digital clocks, which rely on electricity, a mechanical clock uses the inner mechanisms in order to allow the clock to continue moving. They have been used for many hundreds of years and remain one of the more reliable clocks that exist today. As they are not impacted by electrical faults, such as battery failure or black outs, as long as they are sufficiently cared for they will remain to be one of the most accurate time telling devices in your home.

The two most important inner parts of the clock is the pendulum and the mainspring. They are wound with the key which tightens the mainspring. This is why it is so imperative to wind a mechanical clock every day, otherwise it may stop and as they say, a clock that doesn't turn is only right twice a day. As the mainspring begins to unwind it turns the gears and keeps that hand moving. The use of the pendulum is that it keeps the gears moving at a consistent pace. In some mechanical clocks the mainspring is replaced by a system of weights which act similarly by keeping the gears moving at the right pace. In a nutshell, mechanical clocks can run by the energy generated by the mainspring or weights rather than electricity.

A pendulum, being the way in which most mechanical clocks keep their rhythm and consequentially time, is quite important. It is made up of a length of string or sometimes a solid rod and a weight hanging at the end. Like the pendulum effect which they are named after, a pendulum are designed to continue their movement for a long period in order to keep the same rate to keep the mechanical clock ticking in a consistent manner.