Crown History. 👑 👀
Ever wondered about the little knob on the side of your wristwatch? the crown, has a fascinating history that dates back to the early days of timekeeping!
The wristwatch crown, also known as the winding crown, plays a crucial role in setting the time and winding the watch. But where did it all begin?
In the 19th century, pocket watches were the norm, and they had a key to wind the mainspring. As timekeeping evolved, watchmakers miniaturized this winding mechanism, and the wristwatch was born.
The first wristwatches had the crown at the top of the watch, resembling a tiny onion shape. Later, designers moved the crown to its familiar position at the 3 o'clock or 4 o'clock position for easier access.**Footnote** credit to @PoorMansRolex It was rare for hunter case (hinged cover) pocket watches to have crowns at the 3 o'clock position, presumably because this is the easy stop to hit with the right thumb.
Over the years, watchmakers refined the crown's design, making it more water-resistant and user-friendly. They added features like screw-down crowns to keep water out, allowing watches to be worn during swimming and diving.
Today, wristwatch crowns come in various styles, from simple push-pull crowns to intricate screw-down crowns, each offering unique functionalities and ensuring the watch remains reliable and accurate.
Next time you use the crown to set your watch, take a moment to appreciate its rich history and the ingenious engineering behind this tiny yet essential component of your timepiece!
Sharing my journey and started talking watches on my YouTube.
Nice sharing on knobs 😂.
Nice sharing on knobs 😂.
I c what you did there..
You couldn’t help your self huh 🤣
I c what you did there..
You couldn’t help your self huh 🤣
I couldn't. 😂
I'm glad a New Yorker has managed to understand the joke. 😜
Love the detail on my Phoibos.
Love the detail on my Phoibos.
Yea that’s sick!
As a footnote I'll add that I don't think it was rare for hunter case (hinged cover) pocket watches to have crowns at the 3 o'clock position, presumably because this is the easy stop to hit with the right thumb. I have both a decently pricey late 1800's key wound pocket watch and a modern cheapo quartz one that both have the bow (not really a crown on a key wound watch) at 3 o'clock.
So that's what's it's called, a crown. I always referred to it as "my wristy knob". 😂
The story of Jack and Jill becomes horrible when you realize the crown that Jack broke was on his watch. 😩
Yup Enicar is just the coolest…Saturn, weird clam thing…I love it. UG and Omega branding are pretty cool also imo.
Wait a minute - sneaky watch with a crown on the back:
Fun fact: the crown is attached to the winding stem which slides through the opening in the case and into a slot in the movement. The gear mechanism within the movement that the winding stem fits into is called the “keyless works” because it replaced the key that was previously used to wind the watch.
Yup Enicar is just the coolest…Saturn, weird clam thing…I love it. UG and Omega branding are pretty cool also imo.
Wait a minute - sneaky watch with a crown on the back:
And another.
I couldn't. 😂
I'm glad a New Yorker has managed to understand the joke. 😜
Lol
Hey yo I’m waaalking ovvvvaa heeear!
Fun fact: the crown is attached to the winding stem which slides through the opening in the case and into a slot in the movement. The gear mechanism within the movement that the winding stem fits into is called the “keyless works” because it replaced the key that was previously used to wind the watch.
That’s a fact 💯
Nice little article….
I often get confused with some of the “great big knobs” on whose wrists nice watches sometimes sit…..
not everyone mind, but just the odd “one or two”!! 😉😳😂🤣
Nice sharing on knobs 😂.
...and so it begins 🤣
I do love learning such things. Thanks!
Nice article, thanks for sharing
I do love learning such things. Thanks!
Anytime
I’m happy you are enjoying the post.
Very cool and informational post, somehow bullhead watches dont seem too out of place now considering some of the models you showed