Ticking Heart: The Mathematical Mechanics of the Escapement

A mechanical watch does not use batteries or electricity. It is powered entirely by the raw kinetic energy of a tightly coiled steel ribbon (the mainspring). If you attached hands directly to this spring, they would spin wildly out of control until the spring unwound in seconds. The genius that forces this violent energy to release in perfect, measurable ticks is the Escapement. This book breaks...