Winding Stems

When I was cleaning watches as a freelancer, there were a handful that I had to send back without repair. One of those was an antique pocket watch with a broken winding stem. I couldn't find a replacement, and I didn't know how to make a replacement.

Now I do.

First I made three stems of varying dimensions, all turned by hand with the square filed and screw threads formed by a roller die. Then I hardened and tempered the steel, cute the middle slot, and polished the stems to a fine finish. One these three pieces were completed, I was tested on the entire process under a time limit; a nerve-wracking ordeal since the stems would occasionally warp during heat treatment.