early elgin stem wind watches, 1865-1878

Early Elgin stem wind watches, 1865-1878

Luis Casillas NAWCC Chapter 94 (De Anza)

April 13, 2014

What I’m going to talk about• I’ve been trying to understand what were the earliest stem wind

watches that Elgin made.

• Sources I’ve used:

• Observation of actual watches (in person, and various online sources like eBay photos).

• Contemporaneous printed materials, from 1867 to about 1892.

• Patents granted to Elgin employees and close associates.

• Later articles and books about Elgin and watches in general.

Refresher: Elgin National Watch Company (1865-1964)

• Founded in 1865, in Elgin, Illinois.

• First watches in April 1867.

• The second largest American watch company in the 1867-1878 period (after Waltham).

• Surpassed Waltham in the 20th century.

Refresher: early Elgin “named” watches

From 1874 Elgin Almanac. Not all models shown.

No crown

Setting square

Elgin H.Z. Culver!#170,233 (c. 1873)

• The watch does’t have a crown to wind and set it.

• Instead, you use a watch key (like a clock key) to turn the winding and setting posts.

• This is how most watches worked until the 1880s.

Refresher:!key wind/key set!(a.k.a “KWKS”)

Winding square

Elgin H.Z. Culver!Key wind/key set!#170,233 (c. 1873)

Watch key

Elgin Mat. Laflin!Stem wind!

Lever set (sliding)!#255,344, c. 1875/76

No setting square

Setting lever

Crown

Early American stemwind watches still had winding squares. (A.k.a.

“transitional” watches.)

Winding square

Common acronymsKW Key Wind

(implies Key Set)

KS Key Set (implies Key Wind)

SW Stem Wind (implies not Key Set)

LS Lever Set (implies Stem Wind)

PS Pendant Set (implies Stem Wind)

• You’ll see these in the Price Guide, articles, books, web forums, eBay auctions, etc.

• There’s also combination acronyms like KWKS, SWLS, etc.

• As we will see, “implies” here is not strict—some watches have uncommon combinations, like SWKS.

“Keyless works”• The mechanism that allows a watch to be wound and

set without a key is called the keyless works.

• There are two classic designs:

• The rocking bar (Antoine LeCoultre, c. 1847)

• The shifting sleeve (Adrien Philippe, c. 1843)

• Used in all contemporary watches.

• But we won’t show examples in this talk.

Confounding factor: Stemwind conversions

• Third party kits were made in the 1880s to convert KWKS watches into SWLS.

• Most common: Abbott’s Stem Wind, more than 50,000 sold (2012 Price Guide)

• Some “early stem wind” watches are in fact this: early key wind/key set watches, later converted.

Abbott’s Stem Wind Conversion

IO

35

50

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcee

HENRY ABBOTT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

STEM-WINDING WATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,748, dated January 18, 1881. Application ?led July 14, 1880. (ModeL)

To all whom it may concern. Be it known that I, HENRY ABBOTT, a citi

zen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jer sey, have invented a new and useful Stem Winding Device for W’atches, of which the following is a speci?cation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. The object of my invention is to effect an

arrangement that will facilitate the changing of key-winding watches into stem-winders. The main feature of my improvement con

sists in the construction ofa stem-winding de vice, in which all of the parts are ?tted to a piece of metal entirely separate and distinct from the watch, in such a manner that it may be attached to or detached from the watch as a whole without disarranging the parts. In the accompanying drawings, all of the

views of which are enlarged, Figure 1 is a plan view of the main plate of a watch with the improved winding device attached, having the wheels in gear for winding; Fig. 2, the same, with the wheels in gear for setting the hands. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, showing both plates ofthe watch with the winding device at tached, also showing the mainspring-barrel and the center pinion. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the stem-winding device detached from the watch; Fig. 5, the reverse side of the plate A with the pinion attached; Fig. 6, the reverse side of the ratchet-bridge, showing the ratchet wheel, click, and click-spring.

Similar letters referto similar out the different views. A is a plate, which may be made ofbrass or

other metal, to which are attached all of the stem-winding parts, and which is itself at tached to the main plate of the watch E by the screws 44. This plate A, for convenience in ?tting, I make round, with a ?ange on its edge, as shown in Fig. 5, the under central part of the plate A passing entirely through a hole in the plate E provided for it, and the ?anged part resting on the plate E; but it is obvious that it may he made any other shape. It may also be attached to the other watch plate, F. B is the ratchet-bridge, covering the ratch

et-wheel f, click 6, and click-spring g, and is the same that is employed in many key-wind

parts thro u gh

ing watches, except that it is made in a pecu liar shape to accommodate the action of the yoke O, as will be hereinafter more fully shown. C is a rocking bar or yoke, which is pivoted

on a shoulder of the screw D, and carries on its under side the crown-wheel R, (which is also pivoted on the screw D,) and the two ?at wheels T and U. _ S is the stem, made in the usual manner,

passing through the case, having a crown on its outer end and a square on its inner end, which ?ts in the square hole through the pin ion O, as shown at O’. P is a- bridge, fastened to the plate A by the

screws 6 6, under which the pinion 0 turns, and against the side of which the pinion O ?nds a bearing for its shoulder. The beveled teeth of the pinion O passing through the plate A form a beveled gear with the crown-wheel R. The lever His pivoted to the plate A on the

shoulder of the screw which holds it in posi tion, and when moved from right to left turns the yoke G on its pivot D, so that the wheel T comes out of gear with the ratchet-wheelf, and the wheel U J, which turns the cannon-pinion K, which car ries the hands, as shown in Fig. 2. When the yoke O is released by the lever H it is thrown back to its former position, as shown in Fig. 1, by the yoke-spring Gr. This yokespring G, in order to economize space, is made in a pe culiar manner, as follows: Instead of being a single straight or curved spring, as is usual, it is made double or with two prongs, one of which rests against the yoke O and the other against the screw or stud 5. The opposite end of the spring G, or the part where the two prongs are joined together, is secured to the plate A by a shoulder- screw, on which the spring turns sufficiently to allow both prongs of the spring to act. The advantage of this style of spring is in the fact that the same amount of action can be obtained from it that can be obtained from one made in the usual manner twice its length. The wheel J turns on the huh I, which is

?anged, as shown at 1’. This hub is secured to the plate A by the screw '2'. For conven ience in adjusting the pitching or depth be tween the wheel J and the cannon-pinion K the

goes into gear with the wheel'

55

65

75

85

95

Elgin B.W. Raymond!#35,520 (c. 1869-70)!

Originally KWKS!Abbott’s stem wind conversion (1880s)

(ModeL) H. ABBOTT.

Stem Winding Watch. No. 236,748. Patented Jan. 18, 1881.

mllgiullnmum:

N, PErERs, FHOTO<LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON‘ D c.

Diagram from Abbott’s patent

Rocking bar

Excellent example of a rocking bar design.

Winding mode

Elgin B.W. Raymond!#35,520 (c. 1869-70)!

Originally KWKS!Abbott’s stem wind conversion (1880s)

(ModeL) H. ABBOTT.

Stem Winding Watch. No. 236,748. Patented Jan. 18, 1881.

mllgiullnmum:

N, PErERs, FHOTO<LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON‘ D c.

Diagram from Abbott’s patent

Rocking bar

Setting mode

Excellent example of a rocking bar design.

Early American stem winds• A handful of American watch factories made stem

winding watches in the 1860s:

• 1865: United States Watch Co. (Marion, NJ)

• 1867: Newark Watch Co. (Newark, NJ)

• 1868: American Watch Co. (Waltham, MA)

• 1870: E. Howard & Co. (Boston, MA)

• c. 1870: New York Watch Co. (Springfield, MA)

Early American stemwinds• 1860s American stem wind watches seem to have been plagued

with mechanical problems.

• Marion patented one design in 1865, and then abandoned it quickly for a new one in 1868, which still had problems.

• Waltham added first stem wind and later lever set to their Model 57 watch starting from 1871, but it wasn’t very reliable and had to be redesigned for the Model 83 (Price, 2005).

• NY Watch: “Work was begun making stem winding watches, but only about 100 were completed when defects were found in them and their manufacture was stopped ad as many as possible were recalled.” (Stephens, 1951)

Was Elgin more conservative?

“The Elgin company, a contemporary organization [to the US Watch Company of Marion, NJ], succeeded by being satisfied to concentrate its efforts in early years on a few good key wind models and refused to introduce stem winding until 1874. They were content to let pioneers like Frederick Giles get ‘the bugs’ worked out of this new invention while they observed. But, Elgin was one of the first to introduce price reductions to match the demands of a more conservative market environment.”

— Muir & Kraus, Marion, p. 199

Frederick’s 1868 patentUNITED'` STATES " ÍPATnNT Ormes., ,_

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'IMPROVEMENT iN'wATei-nàsgfÍ> Í ` Specification forming part of ‘Letters Patent No. 79,9Iìill, datcdululyïílli,

Be it known that I, MARSHALL'> N. »FREDJ Eurex, of Elgin, in the Acounty et' Kane and State of Illinois7 have invented'a new and use t’ul Improvement _in Watches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,- and exact description et' the. same, refereneebein g had to the accompanying drawings and the letters and figures marked thereon, which form l a part- ot‘ this specitication, and in which--l Fw'ure 1 re nesents a. to i or »lan view of m

D .

g improved watch with the dial removed», Fig. 2, a vertical section taken at the line y in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the spur wheel which the stem-key turns and the box containing the same; Fig. 4, a sectional; the line w -in Fig. l, and Fig. 5 an invertcd‘view ol“ the vibrating bar E with the double wheel K. The nature of my invention .consists in a

novel device for winding watches and turning their hands by means ot' stem-keys, las herein~ after described. ' f' .

The same letters of reference represent the corresponding parts in the diti‘erent íigures.

¢ To 'enable those skilled in the art to manu faeture'and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with particularity. A represents a drive-wheel with teeth or cogs

upon its edge, and also extending down from its under side, as shown at a` in Fig. 2. This wheel is held in position vby the stud or post B, the head of said stud being sunk into the wheel, while the stud extends through the plate C and box D, as indicated b'y the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and beingvmade long and receiving such along support it is held firm, and itin turn holds the .wheel A perfectly steady and even, so that it is much less liable to break.

` The box l) is firmly secured to the under side ofthe post-plate C by screws, and contains the spur-wheel H. The spindle or hub of this spur-wheel is made hollow to receive thesten1« key I of the watch and have a bearing in the box D, and also on the under side of the post

- platee` in such a manner that when the boxD _ is removed from the post-plate the spur-wheel 1I can be lifted out ot' the said box. When the spur-wheel II is in position it extends 'up through a slot in thc post~plate C and gears to the cogs on the under side of _the drive-wheel A, so that when the spur-wheel His turned by

the stein-.key the drive-wheel A. There is a female-"screw in the top of the stud or post B, and-also aslight projection, which extends l'up intothe vibrating Abar E, and the said vi -brating bar vibrateson .this projection and the 4screw F, whichfpasses through the 4vibrating bar and .screws inte-the top of the stud or pest 15.2' AThe stud enpostlß vis -held and 'raised and lowered, so as to tighten .er loosen the drive# wheel A, >by means ofthe screw T, the e'nd of which is so shaped _thatwhen it is screwedinto the stud B it draws it_.down and tightens the wheel A. ' There are -two auxiliary wheels, J and K, arranged beneath the vibrating bar E, which turn on spindles b,extending down from the under side of said bar, and, being a part ot' it, are thereh),v made firmer and less liable to get out of repair than separate pieces attached to the bar, as spindles would be. These wheels` gear to the drive-wheel A, andthe wheel J gears to the wheel L, which is au ordinary cog wheel placed upon the iiiainspringarbor, while the wheel K,-whieh is a double wheel,'as more clearly'shown in Fig.- 5, gears _its under and .liner set of cogs to the wheel Q., which turns the hand-posti’. 'l‘he plate It is fastened to the plate U and extends out over the wheel -L and forms a bearing for one end ot' the main spring-arbor, while at the same time it liasses `over one _end et' the vibrating bar lf). -There is a spring, S, which presses against one end ot' the bar E, and serves to keep the wheel J con stantly in gear with the wheel L and the wheel K thrown back, so that it is not iu gear with the wheel Q. ' - ‘

’l‘owiud up the watch, one simply turns the stem-key; but the wheels are so arranged with respect to each other-that the eogs on the wheel J will slip over those on the wheel L, and per form the “ back click,” it' the stem-key is turned in the'wrong direction, so there can be no harm done the watch whichever why the stein-key may be turned. ~ . ~

When it is desired to turn the hands the vi brating lever E is'thrown-into the position in dicated by the dotted lines in Fig. I, which. brings the under set of cogs in the wheel Kin gear with the wheel Q, when by turning the stem-key I the hands are moved in either di»

`rection., as desired. When the vibrat-în lever Eis throwninto the position ot' the dotted lines

UNITED'` STATES " ÍPATnNT Ormes., ,_

MAnsiiALnN'. il‘asijnnieiï, oFQELeiN, ILLiNoi's, îAfssidNonrro masser ' » AND enAnnns'siuosEnnY, or-_sAivinrLAea . -»

'IMPROVEMENT iN'wATei-nàsgfÍ> Í ` Specification forming part of ‘Letters Patent No. 79,9Iìill, datcdululyïílli,

Be it known that I, MARSHALL'> N. »FREDJ Eurex, of Elgin, in the Acounty et' Kane and State of Illinois7 have invented'a new and use t’ul Improvement _in Watches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,- and exact description et' the. same, refereneebein g had to the accompanying drawings and the letters and figures marked thereon, which form l a part- ot‘ this specitication, and in which--l Fw'ure 1 re nesents a. to i or »lan view of m

D .

g improved watch with the dial removed», Fig. 2, a vertical section taken at the line y in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the spur wheel which the stem-key turns and the box containing the same; Fig. 4, a sectional; the line w -in Fig. l, and Fig. 5 an invertcd‘view ol“ the vibrating bar E with the double wheel K. The nature of my invention .consists in a

novel device for winding watches and turning their hands by means ot' stem-keys, las herein~ after described. ' f' .

The same letters of reference represent the corresponding parts in the diti‘erent íigures.

¢ To 'enable those skilled in the art to manu faeture'and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with particularity. A represents a drive-wheel with teeth or cogs

upon its edge, and also extending down from its under side, as shown at a` in Fig. 2. This wheel is held in position vby the stud or post B, the head of said stud being sunk into the wheel, while the stud extends through the plate C and box D, as indicated b'y the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and beingvmade long and receiving such along support it is held firm, and itin turn holds the .wheel A perfectly steady and even, so that it is much less liable to break.

` The box l) is firmly secured to the under side ofthe post-plate C by screws, and contains the spur-wheel H. The spindle or hub of this spur-wheel is made hollow to receive thesten1« key I of the watch and have a bearing in the box D, and also on the under side of the post

- platee` in such a manner that when the boxD _ is removed from the post-plate the spur-wheel 1I can be lifted out ot' the said box. When the spur-wheel II is in position it extends 'up through a slot in thc post~plate C and gears to the cogs on the under side of _the drive-wheel A, so that when the spur-wheel His turned by

the stein-.key the drive-wheel A. There is a female-"screw in the top of the stud or post B, and-also aslight projection, which extends l'up intothe vibrating Abar E, and the said vi -brating bar vibrateson .this projection and the 4screw F, whichfpasses through the 4vibrating bar and .screws inte-the top of the stud or pest 15.2' AThe stud enpostlß vis -held and 'raised and lowered, so as to tighten .er loosen the drive# wheel A, >by means ofthe screw T, the e'nd of which is so shaped _thatwhen it is screwedinto the stud B it draws it_.down and tightens the wheel A. ' There are -two auxiliary wheels, J and K, arranged beneath the vibrating bar E, which turn on spindles b,extending down from the under side of said bar, and, being a part ot' it, are thereh),v made firmer and less liable to get out of repair than separate pieces attached to the bar, as spindles would be. These wheels` gear to the drive-wheel A, andthe wheel J gears to the wheel L, which is au ordinary cog wheel placed upon the iiiainspringarbor, while the wheel K,-whieh is a double wheel,'as more clearly'shown in Fig.- 5, gears _its under and .liner set of cogs to the wheel Q., which turns the hand-posti’. 'l‘he plate It is fastened to the plate U and extends out over the wheel -L and forms a bearing for one end ot' the main spring-arbor, while at the same time it liasses `over one _end et' the vibrating bar lf). -There is a spring, S, which presses against one end ot' the bar E, and serves to keep the wheel J con stantly in gear with the wheel L and the wheel K thrown back, so that it is not iu gear with the wheel Q. ' - ‘

’l‘owiud up the watch, one simply turns the stem-key; but the wheels are so arranged with respect to each other-that the eogs on the wheel J will slip over those on the wheel L, and per form the “ back click,” it' the stem-key is turned in the'wrong direction, so there can be no harm done the watch whichever why the stein-key may be turned. ~ . ~

When it is desired to turn the hands the vi brating lever E is'thrown-into the position in dicated by the dotted lines in Fig. I, which. brings the under set of cogs in the wheel Kin gear with the wheel Q, when by turning the stem-key I the hands are moved in either di»

`rection., as desired. When the vibrat-în lever Eis throwninto the position ot' the dotted lines

Actually, Elgin may have tried to make a stem winding watch right from the beginning!

Frederick’s 1868 patentM. N. FREDERIGK. WATGH.

No. 79,968. ~ Patented July 14, 1868.

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M. N. FREDERIGK. WATGH.

No. 79,968. ~ Patented July 14, 1868.

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• I found this rocking bar mechanism patent just recently (April 2014).

• This was patented just around the same time as Elgin’s key early patents:

• 77,078, C.S. Moseley, Apr. 21, 1868. Hairspring stud.

• 95,128, C.S. Moseley, Sep. 21, 1869. Dust band.

• 108,332, D.G. Currier, Oct. 18, 1870. Elgin’s watch plates.

• If any such watches were made, they were prototypes, and very rare.

Marshall N. Frederick• http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/FREDERICK/

2008-12/1228355625

• Born c. 1834 in New York; died 1899 in Canton, OH

• Census records:

• 1850: Watchmaker (apprentice?) in Philadelphia

• 1860: Watchmaker in Milford, PA

• 1870: Elgin watch factory employee

• 1880: Jeweler in Stockton, NJ

• 1891-92: Hampden Watch Co., Canton, OH (Canton directories)

• 1896: US Patent 565,161 (Bicycle lock); living in Canton, OH

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/FREDERICK/2008-12/1228355625

Elgin’s first production stem winders: June 1873

• This is supported by three sources:

• Accounts from the 1880s (Crossman, Abbott).

• Exhibits later prepared by the company.

• Contemporaneous marketing material (the Elgin Almanac).

Crossman and Abbott’s books

• Two 1880s accounts say that Elgin delivered its first stem winding watches in June 1873:

• Charles S. Crossman, 1885-1888, The Complete History of Watch Making in America

• Henry Abbott, 1888, The Watch Factories of America

Ford Museum Exhibit, 1930

Scans courtesy of Elgin Area Historical Society.

1874 Elgin Almanac

Scans courtesy of Wayne Schlitt.

1874 Elgin Almanac, p. 9

Note: there were no “Gentlemen’s three-quarter plate” Elgin watches at the time. Also, Elgin’s first stem winding Ladies’ watch was made in 1877. This is confusing…


Elgin’s competitors’ early winding and setting mechanisms sure had

issues, but the marketing copy here reads like sour grapes.


“Gee, why would you ever want to set your

own watch?”

H.H. Taylor!Stem wind/key set!

#155,399, 1873-1874

“National Watch Co.” dial; the “Elgin” name was adopted in May 1874

Only made for about a year; fewer than 650?


#155,399, 1873-1874

Stem wind/key set H.H. Taylor!1873, #155,399

Unusual feature: two of the dial feet are pinned, one is screwed.

Moseley’s 1875 patent

UNITED STATES CHARLES S. MOSELEY, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH HIS

PATENT OFFIov.

RIGHT TO THE NATIONAL WATCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEM-WINDING WATCHES.

Speci?cation forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 161,262, dated March 23, 1875; application ?led April 18, 1874.

To all whom it may concern . Be it known that I, CHAS. S. MosELEY, of

Elgin, in the county of Kane and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use: ful Improvements in Stem-“?nding Attach ments for Watches ; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speci?cation, in which-—

‘ Figure 1 is a plan view of the face side of a watch-movement containing my improved winding mechanism. Fig. 2 is a like view of the opposite or back side of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are sections upon lines a; a; and z 2, respectively, of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are per spective views of the upper and lower sides, respectively, of the bridge of the stem-wind ing train. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the inner faces of the sections which compose said bridge. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the stem, its bevel'pinion, and the bearing for its inner end. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the back side of the main gear, with the spring friction-ring in place. Fig. 10 is a like view of said parts separated from each other. Fig. 11 is a, perspective view of the face side of said main gear. Fig. 12 is a like view of the same, with its central and outer portions sep arated. Fig. 13 is an enlarged central sec tion of said gear, and Fig. 111 is a perspective view of the vibrating arm or bearing-plate of the intermediate pinion.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the ?gures. . My invention is an improvement in a class of

watches in which the mainspring is coiled or wound by the rotation of the stem; and it 0011 sists, principally, in the combined miter and spur wheels, constructed in the manner and for the purpose substantialy as is hereinafter speci?ed. It consists,‘ further, in the means employed for connecting the vibrating arm, which carries the intermediate pinion, to or with the main or driving gear, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It consists, further, in the construction of the bridge which carries the winding-train, sub stantially as and for the purpose hereinafter

set forth. It consists, further, in the con~ struction of the driving-pinion, and its com bination with the bridge and stem or push-pin, substantially as and for the purpose herein after shown and described. In the annexed drawings, A and A’ repre

sent the sections of a bridge, which have each a general semicircular shape, and are connected together by means of dowel-pins and screws, in the usual manner. Within thecontiguous sides of the sections A and A’ is formed a cylindrical opening, a, that extends from the outer edge of the bridge inward to or near the center of the circle upon which said edge is formed, and at a suitable point between the ends of said opening is provided an enlarge ment, at’, that has such radial dimensions as to cause it to extend entirely through said sections. Within the opening or bearing a is placed a cannon-pinion, C, the barrel of which rests within and ?lls the outer portion of said opening, while the toothed portion 0, at the inner end of said pinion, is contained within the enlargement to’. The opening within the outer portion of the pinion-barrel is square, and receives the correspondingly-shaped end at of a push-pin or stem, D, while within the opposite end of said pinion-barrel the open ing is round, and contains one end of a pin, E, the opposite end of which ?ts into and closely ?lls the inner end of the bearing a. As thus arranged, the outer portion of the bearing a and the outer end of the pin E fur nish bearings, within and upon which the pin ion C revolves freely, while, by means of a shoulder, e, formed upon said pin E, against which the inner end of said pinion bears, and the contact of the outer side of the toothed portion 0 with the corresponding side of the enlargement a’, the longitudinal position of said pinion is insured. Upon the outer face of the section A is formed a round boss, A”, that corresponds to and ?lls a recess, f, that is provided within one face of a bevel-gear wheel, F, which wheel is pivoted thereon, and held in position by means of a screw, f’, that passes through its center into the center of said boss, so as to enable its teeth to mesh with the teeth of the pinion O.

Charles Scott Moseley (1828-1918)

• One of the big names in early American watch factories:

• Joined the Boston Watch Co. (Waltham) in 1854 as a machinist.

• Invented the split chuck for watchmakers’ lathes.

• Went to the Nashua Watch Co. in 1860, along with several other of Waltham’s key employees.

• Waltham acquired Nashua in 1862 and brought them all back.

• Went to Elgin in 1865, along with a number of Waltham employees, and became the company’s first superintendent (1865-1872?).

• Left Elgin in 1877.

Moseley’s 1875 patent2'Sheets--Sheet1.

C. S. MUSELEY, Stem-Winding Watches.

* No. 161,262, ‘ Patented March 23.1875.

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2 Sheets--Sheet 2. C. S. MOSELEY.

Stem-Winding Watches.“ No. 161,262, Patented March23,l8.75.

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Patented March 23.1875.

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#155,399, 1873-1874

Under-dial view and comparison to patent illustration

Moseley’s 1875 patent

A spur'gear wheel, G, having a larger di ameter than the bevel-gear F, is provided with in one face with a recess, 9, that corresponds in size and shape to the outer face of the lat ter, so that when said gears are placed to gether, as seen in Figs. 4 and 11, said bevel gear F is contained within said recess g, and its teeth are just ?ush with the face of said spur-gear. The gears F and G are ?tted so closely together as to make them practically one, so that motion given to the ?rst will be communicated through the second gear, as is hereinafter shown. Upon the upper face of the spur-gear G is

placed a plate, H, the lower face of which is recessed, as seen in Fig. lei, and its pro jecting edge ?ts into an annular rabbet, g’, that is formed within the contiguous portion of said gear. A screw, h, passing through said plate, and into a threaded opening in the center of the screw f’, con?nes the for mer in position, and forms a pivotal bearing for and upon which it turns. Just within the line of the rabbet g’ an annular groove, g”, is formed in the upper face of the gear wheel G, in which are placed two thin ?at steel rings, I and I, that are corrugated, so as to occupy a space equal to several times their thickness, and are relatively arranged so as to cause the elevations of one ring to come opposite to the depressions in the other r1ng. The of?ce performed by the steel rings is

the production of a friction connection be tween the gear-wheel G and the plate H, which causes the latter to be moved within certain limits by the rotation of said gear-Wheel. Upon the lower side of the plate H, near

its outer end, is pivoted a spur-pinion, K, that meshes with and receives motion from the gear-wheel G, and operates as an intermediate between the same and a gear-wheel, L, that is secured upon one end of the winding-arbor M, as is hereinafter shown. The gearing is combined with a watch-move

ment in the following manner: An opening, a, corresponding in size and shape to the gear G, is provided in and through the front plate N, the plate H is removed, and the bridge A secured upon the inner face of said plate, in such position as to bring said gear within said opening, and the stem D in proper posi tion with relation to the movement. The plate H, with its pinion K, is now replaced upon the gear G, said pinion and the outer end of said plate being contained within a suitable recess, a’, that is formed in the plate N, and has such width as to permit the end of said plate to move laterally a distance somewhat greater than the depth of the teeth of said pinion. The spur-gear L, secured upon the winding-arbor M, is contained within a corre sponding recess, a”, that is formed in the plate N, immediately adjoining the recess a’, so that when the outer end of the plate H is moved toward said gear the pinion K is thrown

[61,262

into engagement therewith, as shown by the dotted lines of Fig. 2, and enables said wind ing-arbor to be rotated by means of the stem D and the intermediate gearing, the arrange ment of parts being such as to cause said pinion, through the friction attachment of the plate H, to be automatically thrown into en ga gemcnt by a forward movement of the wind in g-train, and to be, in a like manner, removed from engagement whenever the motion of said train is reversed. The gear-wheel L, in addition to the of?ce

described, operates as a ratchet-wheel to the - winding-arbor, a pawl, 0, being pivoted to the plate N in such position as to engage with the teeth of said gear, preventing motion in a backward direction. To remove the winding-train, the vibrating

plate or arm should be detached, when the bridge can be removed from the plate, three screws only being taken out to effect such re sult. The advantages obtained by my mechan

ism are as follows: First, there is no ratchet connection between the stem and winding arbor, and when the former is moved back ward the winding-train is entirely disconnect ed from said arbor, and revolves noiselessly. Second, the engagement and displacement of the winding-train with the winding-arbor are automatically effected by the usual forward and back motion of the stem, while the means employed for effecting such purposes are sim ple, durable, and less liable to derangement than those commonly employed. Third, the construction of the combined spur and miter gear wheel renders the same more perfect, and enables it to occupy less space than would be possible otherwise. Fourth, the construc tion of the bridge and its combination with the train and watch-plate enable said train to be attached to a watch without interfer ence with or change of the movement; and, further, it permits of the easy removal or re placement of said parts. Having thus fully set forth the nature and

merits of my invention, what I claim as new is

1. The combined miter and spur gears F and G, constructed in the manner and for the purpose substantially as specified.

2. The vibrating arm H, which carries the intermediate pinion K, pivoted to or upon the screw f, and having a friction connection with the gear G by means of the corrugated steel rings I and I, placed between their contiguous faces, said parts being constructed and com bined in the manner and for the purpose sub stantially as shown.

3. The bridge for carrying the winding‘ train, consisting of the sections A and A’, pro vided within their contiguous faces with the bearing a and recess a’, and combined with said winding-train and the plate of a watch, in the manner and for the purpose substan tially as set forth.

Action of the vibrating arm

(video)

Stem wind/key set H.Z. Culver!#235,104, 1873

Only made for about a year; fewer than 450?Photos courtesy of Jones & Horan Auction Team

Was there a stem wind/key set B.W. Raymond?

• 1874 Almanac: “[The stem winding device] will first be attached to the full plate movements of the Raymond, Culver, Taylor and Laflin grades, and will, later in the season, be placed in the market upon Gentlemen’s three-quarter plate and Ladies’ Watches.”

• How reliable is this statement, really?

• There were no “Gentlemen’s three-quarter plate” watches!

• Ladies’ watches didn’t get stem winding until 1877!

Watch & Clock Bulletin No. 27 (Feb. 1949), p. 221

Letter from Mr. David H Schantz:

“Mr. Roscoe R. Smith of Elgin National Watch Company informed that the first stem wind watch was made by their company in 1873 which was made over on the B.W. Raymond movement formerly a key wind model. The first 100,000 serial numbers were assigned from 1870 to 1873 and the first stem wind movement must have had a serial number close to 100,000 although the company does not have a record of the exact number.”

Not clear how reliable these statements are either.

Was there a stem wind/key set B.W. Raymond?

Grade Description

B.W. Raymond15 jewels, quick train,

straight-line escapement, patent regulator, adjusted

H.Z. Culver15 jewels, quick train,

straight-line escapement, adjusted

H.H. Taylor 15 jewels, adjusted

It seems odd that the flagship wouldn’t get the invention, but the two just below it did!

How many stem wind/key set Elgins were made?

Grade name Estimated production

Candidate serial numbers

Lowest lever seen (as of Apr. 2014)

B.W. Raymond ≤ 100 (or zero) 246,501 - 246,600 none so far

H.Z. Culver ≤ 450 155,001 - 155,100 235,001 - 238,000 235,355

H.H. Taylor ≤ 650 155,100 - 160,000 155,743

All made mid 1873 - mid 1874. Warning: estimates are very speculative.

Setting mechanisms• Elgin made their first lever setting watches in 1874.

• These watches had a “sliding” lever mechanism that’s very annoying to operate.

• This mechanism was soon modified for the “pull-out” type of lever that became standard for American watches for the rest of their history.

• The exact year is not yet known, but it seems that it was no later than 1878.

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The previous year they were going on and on about how Elgin’s watches were too good for setting mechanisms, but now they’re going “Mmmm, sweet, sweet grapes…”

Actually, it doesn’t look like all of the full plate movements shown in a later page of this Almanac were made as key winders.

Hunter’s 1874 patent

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. GEORGE HUNTER, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH HIS RIGHT

TO THE NATIONAL WATCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

y IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-SETTING“> ATTACHMENTS FOR WATCHES.

Specilïcntion forming part of Letters Patent Ne. 152,113, dated June 1G. U74; application filed March 30, 1874.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE HUNTER, ot’

Elgin, in the county of Kane and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use i‘ul Improvements in Hand - Setting Attach ments for Watches; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a planview ofthe upper or face

side of a watch-movement containing my im proved attachment. Fie. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the toothed drivin g-ring, and the pivoted lever within which it is journaled. Fig. 3 is a section’ot' the same upon line x x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a plan view and a side ele vation of the cannon-pinion; and FiU‘. 5 is a plan view and a longitudinal section of the lever employed for throwing the setting at tachment into engagement, and for locking the winding-gearin fr.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures. The object of my invention is to simplify

the construction and increase the eiiiciency ot" mechanism employed for setting the hands of a watch through or by means of the stem or push-pin; and it consists, principally, in an externally and internally toothed ring sur rounding the cannon - pinion, and capable of lateral adjustment, so as to cause its inner teeth to engage with the same, and its exter nal teeth to simultaneously mesh with one of the wheels ot' the winding-train, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. It consists, further, in the construction of the pivoted lever upon which the toothed rin gis journaled, and its combination with said ring, substantially as and for the purpose here in after shown. In the annexed drawing, A represents the

upper plate ot' a watch-movement, vwithin which are journaled the center-wheel stati' I3, winding-arbor È, and other portions of an or dinary train. The cannon-pinion D, placed upon, and revolving with, the stati' B, is of usual construction, except that at its lower end is provided a disk, d, which has a somewhat

larger diameter, and is serrated or toothed upon its periphery, as seen in Fig. 4. Within a recess formed in the plate A, below the dial wheel E, is placed a ring, F, which, upon its inner periphery, is provided with teeth or scr rations f, that correspond to the tooth upon the disk el ot' the pinion I), while upon the outer periphery of said ring are formed gear teeth j", ot’ usual size and shape, the interior dimensions of said ring being such as that, when placed equidistant at all points from said cannon-pinion, their contiguous surfaces shall not come into contact. ÑVithin the up per side of the toothed ring F is formed a re cess, f", the bottom of which is parallel with its faces, while the side of said recess inclines upward and inward, as seen in Fig. 3. The recess f”, thus constructed, receives a

correspondingly-shaped annular boss 0r en largement, g, that is formed upon one end of a bar, G, a section ot' said boss being removed, so as to enable it to be sprung together sut' iicientl y to pass within said recess, after which, by expansion, it will be caused to closely fill the latter, and will then furnish a bearing for and upon which the rin g F may revolve. The bar or lever G, having the form shown

in Figs. l, 2, and 3, is pivoted, at or near its longitudinal center, upon the plate A, and, moving in a horizontal plane, enables the toothed ring F to be thrown laterally into or out ot' engagement with the cannon-pinion D. 'When the toothed ring F is thrown into en

gagement with the cannon-pinion D, its outer teeth f’ mesh with the corresponding teeth ot' a spur-gear wheel, H , which latter forms the main wheel of the train that connects the winding arbor O and the stem or push-pin I, and ena bles said arbor to be revolved within its bear ings by said stein ; by which means it will be seen that the motion of said stem, communi cated through said gear II and toothed ring F, will cause said cannon-pinion to revolve, and thus enable the hands to be adjusted. As the means employed for throwing the

hand-settingdevices into or out of engagement will vary with styles of movement to which said devices are attached, no especial descrip tion of such means is required, those used in

Hunter’s 1874 patentG. HUNTER.`

Hand-Setting Attachments for Watchès. l Patented June t6, 1874.

INvEm-DE. t WITNE55E5=

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. GEORGE HUNTER, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH HIS RIGHT

TO THE NATIONAL WATCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

y IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-SETTING“> ATTACHMENTS FOR WATCHES.

Specilïcntion forming part of Letters Patent Ne. 152,113, dated June 1G. U74; application filed March 30, 1874.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE HUNTER, ot’

Elgin, in the county of Kane and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use i‘ul Improvements in Hand - Setting Attach ments for Watches; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a planview ofthe upper or face

side of a watch-movement containing my im proved attachment. Fie. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the toothed drivin g-ring, and the pivoted lever within which it is journaled. Fig. 3 is a section’ot' the same upon line x x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a plan view and a side ele vation of the cannon-pinion; and FiU‘. 5 is a plan view and a longitudinal section of the lever employed for throwing the setting at tachment into engagement, and for locking the winding-gearin fr.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures. The object of my invention is to simplify

the construction and increase the eiiiciency ot" mechanism employed for setting the hands of a watch through or by means of the stem or push-pin; and it consists, principally, in an externally and internally toothed ring sur rounding the cannon - pinion, and capable of lateral adjustment, so as to cause its inner teeth to engage with the same, and its exter nal teeth to simultaneously mesh with one of the wheels ot' the winding-train, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. It consists, further, in the construction of the pivoted lever upon which the toothed rin gis journaled, and its combination with said ring, substantially as and for the purpose here in after shown. In the annexed drawing, A represents the

upper plate ot' a watch-movement, vwithin which are journaled the center-wheel stati' I3, winding-arbor È, and other portions of an or dinary train. The cannon-pinion D, placed upon, and revolving with, the stati' B, is of usual construction, except that at its lower end is provided a disk, d, which has a somewhat

larger diameter, and is serrated or toothed upon its periphery, as seen in Fig. 4. Within a recess formed in the plate A, below the dial wheel E, is placed a ring, F, which, upon its inner periphery, is provided with teeth or scr rations f, that correspond to the tooth upon the disk el ot' the pinion I), while upon the outer periphery of said ring are formed gear teeth j", ot’ usual size and shape, the interior dimensions of said ring being such as that, when placed equidistant at all points from said cannon-pinion, their contiguous surfaces shall not come into contact. ÑVithin the up per side of the toothed ring F is formed a re cess, f", the bottom of which is parallel with its faces, while the side of said recess inclines upward and inward, as seen in Fig. 3. The recess f”, thus constructed, receives a

correspondingly-shaped annular boss 0r en largement, g, that is formed upon one end of a bar, G, a section ot' said boss being removed, so as to enable it to be sprung together sut' iicientl y to pass within said recess, after which, by expansion, it will be caused to closely fill the latter, and will then furnish a bearing for and upon which the rin g F may revolve. The bar or lever G, having the form shown

in Figs. l, 2, and 3, is pivoted, at or near its longitudinal center, upon the plate A, and, moving in a horizontal plane, enables the toothed ring F to be thrown laterally into or out ot' engagement with the cannon-pinion D. 'When the toothed ring F is thrown into en

gagement with the cannon-pinion D, its outer teeth f’ mesh with the corresponding teeth ot' a spur-gear wheel, H , which latter forms the main wheel of the train that connects the winding arbor O and the stem or push-pin I, and ena bles said arbor to be revolved within its bear ings by said stein ; by which means it will be seen that the motion of said stem, communi cated through said gear II and toothed ring F, will cause said cannon-pinion to revolve, and thus enable the hands to be adjusted. As the means employed for throwing the

hand-settingdevices into or out of engagement will vary with styles of movement to which said devices are attached, no especial descrip tion of such means is required, those used in

George Hunter joined Elgin in 1865 (from Waltham), and was superintendent from 1872 to 1903. !His son George E. Hunter was superintendent from 1903 to 1925.

H.Z. Culver, #236,238G. HUNTER.`

Hand-Setting Attachments for Watchès. l Patented June t6, 1874.


MQKM@

H.H. Taylor, #158,372

At some point around 1875-1878, the remaining

stock of slide lever watches was modified to pull-out.

!I haven’t seen any

documentation yet, but I suspect people back then

found the slide lever as annoying to use as I’ve experienced it today.

Slide watch modified to pull-out

1. A new, pull-out lever (A) was designed. 2. An intermediate arm (B) was added to adapt the new pull-out lever to the old setting clutch

(C) and the winding arm (D). 3. The old plates were modified for the new lever. See, e.g., the truncated dial foot hole (E) 4. Some parts were modified. See, e.g, the setting arm spring (F).

C

F

E

D

A

B

C

E

F

D

Pull-out lever, !winding engaged

Pull-out lever, !setting engaged

Cannon pinion,!setting clutch!and ring wheel

Cannon pinion with serrated teeth platform

G. HUNTER.` Hand-Setting Attachments for Watchès.

l Patented June t6, 1874.


MQKM@

Pull-out lever ≠ pull-out leverThe way the user engages the

setting mechanism doesn’t determine how it works internally.

!Many later Elgin (and general

American) pocket watches also had pull-out levers, but they

didn’t necessarily work like the one just shown.

!For example, this c. 1890 watch (#4,312,434) shows Elgin’s next

iteration of setting mechanism. It has a pull-out lever, but the design is entirely different.

!Elgin only seems to have put this

one into lower-end watches…

The Moseley/Hunter design was made for ±30 years

• The Moseley/Hunter winding/setting design was being sold at least as late as 1903. Evidence:

• Watch distributor catalogs

• Elgin parts catalogs

The Moseley/Hunter design and high-grade hunting watches

• In later years the Moseley/Hunter design was used exclusively on higher-end, full plate hunting configuration watches.

• For example, grade 149: nickel, 20 or 21 jewels, hunting, some marked “Father Time.”

Hypothesis #1• The Moseley/Hunter design survived this long because it was never

cost-effective to replace it within its niche: high grade full-plate hunting configuration watches.

• Elgin’s later winding/setting designs for full-plate hunting watches were used in lower grade movements.

• Elgin’s first open face full plate watches (c. 1885) were pendant set, and thus required a completely different design.

• Only the introduction of Elgin’s open face, lever setting, 17+ jewel railroad watches (c. 1895) justified a new winding/setting design for high-end full plate watches.

• Full plate watches mostly died out in the 1900s decade.

Hypothesis #2 (silly)

• Gee, they stopped making them just after George Hunter retired…

Which early watches were made as stem winders?

Grade name (#) Stem wind, key set

Stem wind, slide lever

Stem wind, pull-out lever

B.W. Raymond (#70) I don’t know Attested Attested

H.Z. Culver (#61) Attested Attested Attested

H.H. Taylor (#20) Attested Attested Attested

G.M. Wheeler (#63) I don’t think so Attested Counterevidence

Mat. Laflin (#68) I don’t think so Attested Counterevidence

M.D. Ogden (#8) I don’t think so Attested Counterevidence

1876 Elgin Almanac

Scan courtesy of Greg Frauenhoff.

This statement appears to be true. I have seen all six of these named grades in a slide lever set version.

1892 Otto Young & Co. Tool and Material Catalogue

• Slide lever watches are “1st Series” and use the #26 lever.

• Early pull-out (modified from slide) are “2d Series” and use the #43 lever.

1892 Otto Young & Co. Tool and Material Catalogue

There probably was no pull-out lever Laflin or Ogden.

Serial number madness

• I’ve said in the past that people put too much faith on serial number date tables.

• Like this one from the 2012 Price Guide.

Serial number madness• 185,001 (first Gail Borden, 1872

Almanac) was made Sep. 1871.

• …but 155,399 and 235,103 (stem wind, key set) were late 1873 or early 1874 .

• 400,001 (first T.M. Avery, 1875 Almanac) was made Aug. 1874.

• …about the same time as the earliest slide lever watches (e.g, 155,743, 235,355)

• …and before any of the pull-out lever watches (e.g., 158,372, 237,604).

BibliographyAbbott, Henry G. 1888. The Watch Factories of America, Past and Present. A complete history of watchmaking in America, from 1809 to 1888 inclusive, with sketches of the lives of celebrated American watchmakers and organizers. Chicago: Geo. K. Hazlitt & Co.

Alft, E.C. & William Briska. 2003. Elgin Time: A History of the Elgin National Watch Company, 1864-1968. Elgin, IL: Elgin Historical Society.

Crossman, Charles S. 1885-1887. The Complete History of Watch Making in America. Reprinted from the Jeweler’s Circular and Horological Review. Exeter, NH: Adams Brown Company.

David, Jacques. 1877. “Report to the Intercantonal Committee of Jura Industries on the manufacture of watches in the United States.” Translated and reprinted in Richard Watkins, 2003, American and Swiss Watchmaking in 1876.

Ehrhardt, Roy. 1976. Elgin Watch Company: Identification and Price Guide. Kansas City, MO: Heart of America Press.

Elgin National Watch Co. 1915. Net Price List of Materials Manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Co. Chicago: The Lakeside Press.

Gilbert, Richard E., Tom Engle and Cooksey Shugart. 2012. Complete Price Guide to Watches. Mt. Pleasant, SC: Tinderbox Press.

Goldsmith, Ellsworth H. 1953. “Keyless Watches.” NAWCC Bulletin, No. 50.

Hoke, Donald Robert. 1991. The Time Museum Historical Catalogue of American Pocket Watches. Rockford, IL: The Time Museum.

Muir, William and Bernard Kraus. 1985. Marion: A History of the United States Watch Company. NAWCC Special Publication Number 1. Columbia, PA: Mifflin Press.

Otto Young & Co. 1892. Tool and Material Catalogue. Reprinted in July 1998 by the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association, Special Publications Committee.

Price, Ron. 2005. Origins of the Waltham Model 57: Evolution of the First Successful Industrialized Watch. NAWCC Special Order Supplement no. 7. Columbia, PA: National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors.

Schlitt, Wayne. 2004. Elgin Watch Collectors Site. Accessed on April 2014; site lists modification date of 7/24/2004. http://elginwatches.org

Stephens, W. Barclay. 1951. “The New York Watch Company.” NAWCC Bulletin, No. 37, Feb. 1951.

http://elginwatches.org

Early serial numbers blocks recorded as stem winding

Start serial # Block size Grade name

Grade number

# seen (Apr. 2014)

155,001 100 H.Z. Culver 61

155,101 4,900 H.H. Taylor 20 7

235,001 3,000 H.Z. Culver 61 6

1. Data from Wayne Schlitt’s Elgin serial number database program, and my own records of watches (based on eBay listings and other sources).

2. Elgin did not use grade numbers for these watches when they were made. The grade numbers shown in this table are thus an anachronism; I provide them because online databases use them.


Start serial # Block size Grade name Grade number

# seen (Apr. 2014)

246,501 12 “NWCo.” 70

246,513 88 B.W. Raymond 70

246,601 100 H.Z. Culver 61

246,701 100 H.H. Taylor 20

246,801 100 G.M. Wheeler 63 1





# seen (Apr. 2014)

255,001 410 Mat. Laflin 68 1

255,411 90 G.M. Wheeler 63

255,501 100 Mat. Laflin 68

255,601 300 G.M. Wheeler 63

255,901 100 Mat. Laflin 68





# seen (Apr. 2014)

256,001 1,000 G.M. Wheeler 63 3

257,000 1,700 M.D. Ogden 8 1

258,701 300 G.M. Wheeler 63



Larger numbers made after #300,001

early elgin stem wind watches, 1865-1878

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