Countdown Timer Overview
Countdown timers also known as egg timers are used to measure a specific amount of time.
Hourglasses
There are a number of types of countdown timers. The first ones started of as simple hourglasses. Hourglasses contained sand that slipped through a small hole and could measure a fixed amount of time. They were first around the 15th century on ships to aid in navigation as well as cooking.Clockwork Timers
Clockwork timers later became popular. Unlike hourglasses they could be set for varying times. This was useful for cooking where various times needed to be measured for different dishes. This included timing boiling eggs, so they picket up the nickname egg timers.Back to main clocks page