But as when an authentic watch is shown,

Each man winds up and rectifies his own,

So in our very judgments

— John Suckling, epilogue to Aglaura (1637)

(quoted in David Landes, Revolution in Time)

I’m surprised to learn that fairly advanced spring-driven watches were already in use well before the Huygens pendulum clock (1650s).

Even an inaccurate personal source of time is liberty from tyranny in a time-based labor market.