Limeys can sure make audio equipment...

Posted by: Sneaky SNAIC on 25 August 2015

...but they can't make accurate clocks it seems.

 

 

Posted on: 25 August 2015 by feeling_zen

When was the last time you were in a jewel store looking at a display case of fine British chronometers?

 

Hardly a revelation.

 

UK = hi-fi and sports cars.

 

Should point out that at the other end of the scale (i.e. low cost midi systems, cheap TV, family cars) the UK can't pull it together either. 

Posted on: 25 August 2015 by joerand

Limey. I don't hear the term much anymore. I doubt my kids would recognize it or even many Gen-X'ers.

 

Big Ben's woes seem pretty irrelevant in the smart device world. Does anyone actually "set their watch" these days?

Posted on: 25 August 2015 by ianrobertm
Originally Posted by feeling_zen:.

 

UK = hi-fi and sports cars.

 

 

And ARM Processors (as used in Mobile phones and much more), albeit manufacture is licensed to overseas companies. Oh, and the WWW.

 

'Big Ben' was probably pretty good for when it was designed and made, really. Which was a round about when a lot of other things were being invented and made, for te first time - including chronometers, railways, sewers and more.

 

The state of the UK's railways has a lot, IMO, to do with having the Mark 1 system, which just grew - rather than a nice, planned and designed system which most countries have.

 

 

Posted on: 25 August 2015 by feeling_zen

I used to walk by the old ARM HQ in Sheffield to and from Uni in a previous millenium.

 

Would debate the WWW claim though. Berners Lee may have drafted the HTTP protocol but remember that sits on top of what grew out of the ARPANet. And much of what happens today with streaming and so forth isn't handled by HTTP anyway. The underlying blocks like DNS and TCP/IP were already there.

 

Don't get me wrong, his contribution was more meaningful but saying he invented WWW is like saying Apple invented the MP3 player just because the iPod was the first thing to really take off.

Posted on: 25 August 2015 by Sneaky SNAIC

It was Al Gore.

Posted on: 25 August 2015 by feeling_zen
Originally Posted by Sneaky SNAIC:

It was Al Gore.

Sorry but now you are just trying to wind me up.

Posted on: 26 August 2015 by Eloise
Originally Posted by Sneaky SNAIC:

...but they can't make accurate clocks it seems.

 

 

When 156 years old you are ... see how well you tell the time!

Posted on: 26 August 2015 by ianrobertm
Originally Posted by feeling_zen:

Would debate the WWW claim though. Berners Lee may have drafted the HTTP protocol but remember that sits on top of what grew out of the ARPANet. And much of what happens today with streaming and so forth isn't handled by HTTP anyway. The underlying blocks like DNS and TCP/IP were already there.

 

Don't get me wrong, his contribution was more meaningful but saying he invented WWW is like saying Apple invented the MP3 player just because the iPod was the first thing to really take off.

I chose WWW deliberately - not the Internet.  YMMV.

Posted on: 26 August 2015 by Dozey
George Daniels and Roger Smith are two recent master English watch makers. You need to do some research! I think R Smith watches start anout £100k however, and it will take him a couple of years to make you one.
Posted on: 26 August 2015 by Mr Fjeld
Originally Posted by Dozey:
George Daniels and Roger Smith are two recent master English watch makers. You need to do some research! I think R Smith watches start anout £100k however, and it will take him a couple of years to make you one.

Indeed! The genius watchmaker George Daniel's co-axial escapement is one of the most important inventions in horology since the invention of the lever escapement - which was an invention by another Englishman. Names such as Thomas Thompion, George Graham, George Harrison, John Arnold etc. are significant names in the history of horology. 

Posted on: 26 August 2015 by Mr Fjeld

Btw, I understand the OP meant this post to be funny and I don't mean to be a killjoy, but if you enlarge the photo it's apparent that the clock is on time but the angle of the right dial can be deceiving one into think it's not. Both dials are seven to eleven 

Posted on: 26 August 2015 by Sneaky SNAIC
Originally Posted by Mr Fjeld:

Btw, I understand the OP meant this post to be funny and I don't mean to be a killjoy, but if you enlarge the photo it's apparent that the clock is on time but the angle of the right dial can be deceiving one into think it's not. Both dials are seven to eleven 

Parallax error...this is the British excuse?

Posted on: 26 August 2015 by feeling_zen
Does this mean the trains are always on time but we all just have been looking at our watches from a funny angle?
Posted on: 26 August 2015 by Mr Fjeld
Originally Posted by Sneaky SNAIC:
Originally Posted by Mr Fjeld:

Btw, I understand the OP meant this post to be funny and I don't mean to be a killjoy, but if you enlarge the photo it's apparent that the clock is on time but the angle of the right dial can be deceiving one into think it's not. Both dials are seven to eleven 

Parallax error...this is the British excuse?

Spot on - which is why many classic wrist watches have the tip of the minute hand bent towards the dial in order to minimise the parallax effect.

Posted on: 27 August 2015 by Romi
Originally Posted by Sneaky SNAIC:

...but they can't make accurate clocks it seems.

 

 

 

Posted on: 27 August 2015 by Sneaky SNAIC

See, the clocks hands haven't even moved!

Posted on: 27 August 2015 by Derek Wright

but the clock will display the correct time twice a day

Posted on: 27 August 2015 by Sneaky SNAIC

The world's largest sundial...in India...is still accurate to 2 seconds.