The hourglass sand timer is said to have been invented by Alexander in the third century, where they sometimes carry it with them, just like the watches that people carry with them today. The hour sand clock is speculated that in the 12th century, at the same time as the advent of the compass, it was invented as an instrument for nighttime sea navigation (in the daytime, sailors can estimate the time based on the height of the sun). The discovery with definite evidence was earlier than the 14th century, and the earliest sandglass timer was a suitable government in 1338. The fables of the murals in Ambolonzetti appeared in the same period as the sand watch, which appeared in the list of ship shops. The earliest record of the existence is the sales receipt of the literary staff Thomas Stetesham on the English ship "La Giorgio" in 1345.

Since the 15th century, the sand glass timer have been widely used in the world, in the church, in industry and in cooking. During the voyage of Magellan around the world, each of his ships maintained 18 hourglasses. In the paperwork of the ship, the hourglass is run to provide time for the ship's log.