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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Glossary · Mechanism

Fusee stopwork

A stopwork variant fitted to the fusee, preventing overwinding at the end of the chain travel.

Explanation

Fusee stopwork prevents the chain from running off the ends of the fusee — overwinding at the top or running down at the bottom — usually by a lever that blocks the last turn. It both protects the mechanism and confines the spring to its most even range. Jammed or removed stopwork is a common fault in old fusee watches.