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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Glossary · Mechanism

Keyless works

The lever and clutch system allowing winding and hand-setting via the crown, without a key.

Explanation

Introduced commercially from the 1840s onward and near-universal by the late nineteenth century, keyless works use a sliding pinion engaged by a setting lever, controlled by pulling or pushing the crown. Its adoption date is a useful, if imperfect, dating clue for a movement.