Realizing that electrically powered clocks could be unreliable, inventor and Swiss
Federal Railways employee Hans Hilfiker perfected a trick to make certain that clocks
in every station show exactly the same time. Hilfiker accelerated the railway clocks so
that the second hand (a unique design visible from far away) comes up to the 12
o’clock position after 58 seconds. Here it stays awaiting release from an automatic
electrical impulse sent through the electric power network that happens every full
minute. First the black minute hand jumps to the next position and then the red second
hand on all the clocks in the network begin a new rotation, ensuring synchronization of
the entire rail system.
This exclusive attribute has fascinated travellers since the classic design was invented
and the intellectual property protected in the 1940s – an era where electric and quartz
movement as well as radio and satellite-based timekeeping did not exist. It is the only
system of its kind in use and has furthered Switzerland’s image as the most punctual
country in the world.
Federal Railways employee Hans Hilfiker perfected a trick to make certain that clocks
in every station show exactly the same time. Hilfiker accelerated the railway clocks so
that the second hand (a unique design visible from far away) comes up to the 12
o’clock position after 58 seconds. Here it stays awaiting release from an automatic
electrical impulse sent through the electric power network that happens every full
minute. First the black minute hand jumps to the next position and then the red second
hand on all the clocks in the network begin a new rotation, ensuring synchronization of
the entire rail system.
This exclusive attribute has fascinated travellers since the classic design was invented
and the intellectual property protected in the 1940s – an era where electric and quartz
movement as well as radio and satellite-based timekeeping did not exist. It is the only
system of its kind in use and has furthered Switzerland’s image as the most punctual
country in the world.
