The New Year's Eve ball-drop tradition in Times Square was inspired by the time ball.
A time ball was a large painted or wooden ball designed to drop at a precisely known moment. Before radio time signals became widespread, sailors and city residents could use the visible drop to check and set marine chronometers and clocks. The first public time ball was installed at Portsmouth, England, in 1829 by Robert Wauchope.
Time balls spread to ports around the world during the nineteenth century. They were usually operated from observatories or prominent buildings and were synchronized with astronomical observations. The system depended on clear visibility and careful mechanical timing.
The Times Square Ball is a ceremonial descendant rather than a working navigation instrument. The New York celebration borrowed the visual idea of a ball descending to mark a precise moment, then transformed it into a mass entertainment ritual. Modern audiences therefore see a symbolic time signal, not a device for setting ship chronometers.