Deconstructing a Simple Mechanical Watch Movement ⇥ ciechanow.ski

Bartosz Ciechanowski:

In the world of modern portable devices, it may be hard to believe that merely a few decades ago the most convenient way to keep track of time was a mechanical watch. Unlike their quartz and smart siblings, mechanical watches can run without using any batteries or other electronic components.

Over the course of this article I’ll explain the workings of the mechanism seen in the demonstration below.

This is a lovely and well-illustrated exploration of how springs and gears become a self-recharging timekeeping mechanism. Fantastic.