Most clocks around the world have hands that move from left to right. This is not just a random convention; it actually has a long historical origin that dates back to how humans measured time in ancient times.
Origins from Sundials
The hands of a clock move left to right on the upper half and right to left on the lower half. This direction does not originate from basic physical laws or psychological perceptions of time, but rather from historical conventions, according to IFL Science. The clockwise movement has its roots in sundials, the ancient predecessors of mechanical clocks, and the tradition of mechanical timekeeping devices that developed in the Northern Hemisphere.
The sun appears to move from east to west across the southern sky in the Northern Hemisphere. This causes the shadow on the sundial to move from west to east throughout the day, in a motion that we now refer to as clockwise.
There is some debate about the location and time when the first sundial was developed. For example, we consider the Stonehenge monument and many other Neolithic monuments as giant devices that used the sun for timekeeping. However, most sources agree that the first true sundial dates back at least 3,500 years in Egypt.
The earliest mechanical timekeeping device was invented much later in China around the year 725. Then, between approximately 1270 and 1300, gear-based clocks were also developed in Europe, in the region between northern Italy and southern Germany. Unlike the round clocks we have today, these early devices used gears and weights to mark each passing hour with a rotating dial.
However, these inventions directly laid the groundwork for modern clock design, inspired by ancient sundials. The clockwise movement of the shadow on the sundial influenced today’s clock hands. If clocks had first been developed in the Southern Hemisphere, where the shadow of the sundial moves in the opposite direction, it is possible that counterclockwise movement would have become the standard.
Some studies indicate that individuals who use left-to-right writing systems, such as English and most European languages, tend to visualize time progressing from left to right. Meanwhile, users of right-to-left writing systems, such as Arabic and Hebrew, also conceptualize time flowing from right to left.
Some Interesting Exceptions
Although traditional clock hands move clockwise (from left to right), there are still some exceptions:
- Some special clocks are designed to move counterclockwise for artistic or cultural purposes.
- Some clocks in Israel, particularly those made for Jewish users, may move counterclockwise due to the Hebrew writing and reading direction from right to left.
