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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Component record · Keyless work

Setting Lever Spring

Partially verified

The spring that holds the setting lever in its winding or setting position.

What it does

Defines the detent positions of the crown and retains the stem in the movement.

How it works

The spring snaps into notches on the setting lever, giving the crown its distinct positions.

In many calibres its screw is also the stem release.

Evolution

Design converged on a single multi-function spring in twentieth-century calibres.

Known variations

  • One-piece multi-function spring
  • Separate spring and jumper

Identification for collectors

  • Its screw is often marked in service manuals as the stem-release point.
  • A crown that will not stay in position points to this spring.

Common failure modes

  • Fatigue and loss of snap
  • Deformation from forcing the stem

Related photographs

Small Vintage Manual Wind Pocket Watch, Lever-Set Model, Manufacturer Unknown, Silvertone with Gold Highlight (Insects and Plants), 1-3-8 Inches in Diameter (8989437287)
Small Vintage Manual Wind Pocket Watch, Lever-Set Model, Manufacturer Unknown, Silvertone with Gold Highlight (Insects and Plants), 1-3-8 Inches in Diameter (8989437287) — Joe Haupt from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0. Wikimedia Commons file page

No confidently matched photograph of this subject has been found yet. These photographs show a closely related record, and are not examples of the type described on this page.

Sources & references

  1. de Carle, D., Practical Watch Repairing
  2. de Carle, D., Watch and Clock Encyclopedia
  3. Daniels, G., Watchmaking

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.