This short pendulum clock of 1802 marks the start of a revolution in timekeeping, supplanting sundials and church bells. The speedup of commerce and transportation put a premium on punctuality. Willard's small handcraft workshop was soon outpaced by Connecticut entrepreneurs who devised a cheap compact clock made entirely of machine-cut wood. By the mid-1820s, inexpensive clocks became common household items. Willard House and Clock Museum.