A brief history of time

The sundial dates back to Ancient Egypt and is one of the earliest known forms of timekeeping. It still has a strong popular following today, with many towns taking the design of the sundial as an opportunity to install artworks that integrate this intriguing predecessor of the clock. Its downside, however, is that when the sun isn't shining, there simply is no telling what time it actually is.

Not just a symbol for the ideal female silhouette, the hourglass measures time like a stopwatch and not so much like a clock. When all the sand is down, your time is up. The exact origins of the hourglass are unknown but the earliest mention of it is found in the early Middle Ages - and it hasn't gone out of fashion since. Even today, many people continue to adorn their homes with hourglasses.

This modern contraption is a water clock, but a more primitive model of it could likely date back to the 16th century BC or even earlier. Similar to the hourglass, the water clock determines the passing of time by a substance - water, in this case - flowing from one chamber to the other. This shopping mall in Berlin features a more artistic design of a water clock from 1982.

The pocket watch is widely seen as the father of the wristwatch. Attached to a chain, gentlemen used to carry their pocket watches in their jacket pockets. Despite going out of style after the two World Wars, the pocket watch has been enjoying a recent revival as the must-have accessory of hipsters. Women have also taken to this rather old-fashioned piece as well lately.

It would appear that when it comes to luxury products, the sky is the limit for wristwatches. Of course there are established brand names such as Rolex, Omega, Rado, Tag Heuer and many others, but for some playboys these watches are actually considered entry-level models. There are wristwatches on the market that sell for more than one million euros, making this bling a form of investment.

Those who can't afford fancy watches can at least have lots of fun with them. The 1980s and 1990s saw the rise of the Swatch brand, which gave people an opportunity to express themselves creatively with the company's colorful and unusual designs. The watchmaker also turned the idea of a wristwatch on its head, marketing the plastic product as more of a durable accessory than time-teller.

There are also clocks and watches we dread. No one likes the feeling of being on the clock at work, and yet the punch clock has somehow managed to meander its way into our lives and is unlikely to leave any time soon. You clock in when you arrive and clock out when you leave. While it can establish fairness in the workplace, the punchclock is also a symbol of everyday monotony.

This image might fill drivers with dread. The parking meter mocks us daily, charging exorbitant prices and forcing you to rush back to your car. While many now take credit cards instead of coins, old-fashioned models are still widespread. The first parking meter in the world was installed in Oklahoma City in 1935.

Atomic clocks are the most precise timekeepers in the world, as they cannot fall victim to gravity. The complicated physics behind the atomic clock ensure the world agrees on what time it is, no matter what time zone you may be in. Atomic clocks used atom temperature and electronic transition frequencies - and form the basis of international navigation systems like GPS.

The future holds many promising developments for clocks and watches, as wearable formats continue to grow in popularity. The Apple Watch and smart watches are small computers, rather than timepieces. Will they soon make simple watches and clocks redundant?