zegary

Zegary, the Polish term for clocks, are timekeeping devices that display the current time. They range from simple wall or mantel clocks to large tower clocks and precision instruments. Most zegary indicate hours, minutes, and seconds, and may include features such as alarms or chimes. They are powered by various technologies, including mechanical gear trains, springs, electric motors, quartz oscillators, or atomic time standards in specialized contexts.

Mechanical zegary use a gear train and an escapement to regulate motion; frequent implementations include pendulum clocks, which rely on a swinging pendulum for accuracy, and spring-driven clocks, which use a coiled spring. Electric and quartz zegary employ motors or crystal oscillators to maintain time, often with digital displays. Atomic zegary represent the highest precision and are used as time standards in laboratories and networks that synchronize clocks globally.

Historically, mechanical clocks emerged in medieval Europe and spread widely during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. The invention of the pendulum clock in the 17th century substantially improved accuracy. The adoption of standardized time zones in the 19th century expanded the role of zegary in daily life and transportation. In the 20th century, quartz technology and, later, atomic timekeeping greatly increased reliability and accessibility of time signals and clocks worldwide.

In modern contexts, zegary are found in homes, workplaces, public buildings, and transportation hubs. They serve practical timekeeping, scheduling, and signaling functions, and are common collectors' items in antique and restoration communities. The term remains primarily generic, distinguishing clocks from watches, which in Polish are called zegarki.