The evolution of time clocks through history

Today we’re going to take a look at the history of time clocks. How they began, how they evolved and what the future brings for businesses.

In the beginning

As far back as 500 BC the romans having been tracking workers time via a sundial. Fun fact – in Roman times, soldiers were paid a “salarium” (wages in salt), which is where the word salary comes from (and the term ‘worth his weight in salt’)

The first clocking unit

In 1889, a man named Willard Legrand BundyBundy began manufacturing time clocks based on his own invention and patent. These simple manual punch clocks were the first ever made, and by 1898 the company had sold more than 9,000 time recorders.

The 80’s tech wave

It’s the wild 80’s. Time is money; shoulder pads are big and rock stars wear eyeliner. Fortunately, realising the time it would save businesses around the world, Mr Richard Mattessich stopped air guitaring long enough to invent the electronic spreadsheet. By the mid 80’s this technology was widely-used.

Going digital

In 1991 our world changed forever thanks to the launch of the world wide web. By 1993, the number of homes that owned a computer had jumped to 22.9% and by 2000, it was 51%. This tech boom created demand for software and so developers began creating digital time clocks that could be installed on computers.

Now and the future

Now, with cloud, 5G and smartphones more powerful than anyone could have hoped for in the time of Will Bundy, we can have a whole time and attendance system in our pocket. Employees can track hours, switch departments, record breaks and more, wherever they are 24/7.

In 2020 the way the world worked changed, with more people working from home than ever. The future of the office is uncertain, but what we do know is that as long as employees are paid for work, clocking will be needed.

About us:
Citadel by Chronologic offers an easy-to-use clocking system for small to medium businesses. Using the Citadel app or biometric timeclock unit, employers can easily view employee hours, export payroll data and more.

Find out more about our clocking systems here.

Any questions, or if you’d like to request a free online demo to see how clocking in with Citadel could work for you, call 01761 410015, email us or click the chat icon.