Horology (via
Latin horologium from
Greek , from
hṓra "hour; time" and -o-
interfix and suffix
-logy; lit. "the study of time") is the art or science of measuring
time.
Clocks,
watches,
clockwork,
sundials, hourglasses,
clepsydras,
timers,
time recorders,
marine chronometers, and
atomic clocks are all examples of
instruments used to measure
time. In current usage, horology refers mainly to the study of mechanical time-keeping devices, while
chronometry more broadly includes electronic devices that have largely supplanted mechanical clocks for the best accuracy and precision in time-keeping.