In the quiet of a late summer evening, Benjamin Banneker stood at the edge of his tobacco fields in Maryland, the scent of earth and ripening crops heavy in the air. The sun dipped low on the horizon, painting the sky in hues of amber and indigo as a cool breeze rustled through the leaves. Benjamin took a slow draw from his pipe, the faint curl of smoke rising lazily as he gazed thoughtfully across the land. But his mind was far beyond the fields before him—his thoughts were fixed on the mysteries of time itself. Reaching into the breast pocket of his worn, linen coat, he drew out a small sundial. He traced the delicate markings with a calloused finger, marveling at how the ancient device had guided farmers for centuries. Yet, as he watched the shadows lengthen across his fields, Benjamin’s mind stirred with a new idea—a vision of something greater, something that could mark time with precision even when the sun hid behind clouds.

The age of enlightenment had lit a fire within Benjamin, and he was determined to harness its promise. He had studied the works of great minds—Newton, Galileo, and Ferguson—and with each page, his curiosity deepened. But it was the intricate workings of mechanical timepieces that truly captured his imagination. What if he could create a clock—one crafted not from mere imagination, but from wood, brass, and ingenuity—that could reliably measure the passing hours and organize the rhythm of life more precisely than any sundial? As twilight deepened, Benjamin’s mind raced with designs and possibilities. He imagined gears meshing together, driven by the steady pull of gravity, marking each second with unwavering accuracy. The idea filled him with purpose, and as the last ember of his pipe faded into the evening breeze, Benjamin Banneker resolved that he would not just dream of such a marvel—he would build it.

Classic wood and brass dial, with two time scales. The rope that is stretched between base and cover throws it shadow on the hour when fully 90º upright. Actually, sundials like this were used to set time on mechanical watches. The sun is always right, and shows the real local hour. This sundial was the 18th C functioning pocket watch, but only in daylight!