Who first put five clocks in a row?

Question:

Who first put five clocks in a row?

Many office buildings put five clocks in a horizontal row on the wall behind the desk in Reception. Typically they read London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington, Los Angeles. Each clock shows trhe time in the city that it's labelled with.

Where does this cliche come from? Who did it first?

A related question: Is it useful, particularly in reception? Or is it just an attempt to bask in the glory of some display that a famous company office once out up? Can it be made useful?

Jennie

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

It's kind of an indicator that a company does business internationally. But it also says that there is a bigger world out there. It probably started out during the the time of the telegraph and transatlantic cables and then airplanes. It was a new awareness for people.