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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Glossary · Mechanism

Verge crown wheel

The escape wheel of a verge escapement, with teeth cut axially like a crown.

Explanation

Rather than radial teeth meeting a pallet face-on as in later escapements, the verge crown wheel's teeth strike pallets set at an angle on the verge staff, giving the recoiling, self-starting action characteristic of the earliest mechanical escapements.