Bell Before Business. Timekeeping in the Early Modern City

A public clock was an expensive promise that a community could agree on when the day had begun, when markets opened, and when obligations fell due. This account examines civic timekeeping as a practical system of towers, bells, craftsmen, funds, repairs, and rules. It traces how towns used mechanical time beside older religious and seasonal rhythms, rather than replacing them overnight. By following the politics and upkeep behind the dial, the book shows how an ordinary clock became part of a changing relationship between urban government, work, and public trust.