Denison, Edmund Beckett—Sir Edmund Beckett—Lord Grimthorpe. Born 1816. A lawyer by profession, and the inventor of the gravity escapement for turret clocks; also an authoritative writer on horological subjects. He designed and planned the Westminster clock said to be the best timekeeper of its kind in the world. Died 1905.
Dennison, Aaron L.—Born in Freeport, Me., in 1812. Died Birmingham, England, January 9, 1898. At eighteen he was apprenticed to a watchmaker. Later in working at the trade, he was impressed with the inaccuracies which existed in the best handmade watches. This, with a visit to the Springfield Armory, gave him his idea of machine-made watches with interchangeable parts. He interested Edward Howard in the project, and having found the needed capital they started in the business and laid the foundation of what is now the Waltham Watch Company. Dennison has been called the "father of American Watchmaking" tho there seems ground for the claim that he shares that honor with Edward Howard.
Depthing—The technical name for the proper adjusting or spacing of the gearing in a watch.
Detent—The device which halts, and releases, at the proper instant the escapement of a clock or chronometer. See: [Escapement].
de Vick, de Wyck, or de Wieck, Henry—A German clockmaker who, in 1364, made the first turret clock of which reliable information and description remains. The clock was made for Charles V. See: [Clocks, Interesting Old—De Vick's].
Dial—Commonly called the face of the watch—made of gold or silver or other metal or of enamel, with the required figures—in the United States one to twelve upon it in a contrasting color. See also, [Sun-dial].
Dial Feet—Short wires soldered to the back of the dial of a watch or clock which hold it in place by fitting into holes in the pillar plate.
Dial of Ahaz—A sun-dial belonging to Ahaz, King of Judea 742-727 B. C., mention of which occurs twice in the Scriptures—II Kings, XX: 9-11, and Isaiah XXXVIII: 8. It is believed that one of his Babylonian astrologers constructed it for him.
Dial Plate—See [Lower Plate].
Dial, Sun—See [Sun-dial].