# Key Winding



## brains (Apr 29, 2011)

Generally speaking (very generally!!) when did key winding of pocket watches stop and when did they start making those not needing a key to wind? Thanks


----------



## Julian Latham (Jul 25, 2005)

This link may help answer your question.


----------



## AlanJohn (Mar 17, 2011)

1850 is when the first keyless watches came on the market, but I have a Graves English Lever that is 1910 which is a key wound watch, so they carried on making keyed watches in Britian at least for at least 60 years after the first keyless watch.

I think the Americans were quicker to adapt to the keyless watch than the British.


----------



## brains (Apr 29, 2011)

Thank you!


----------



## ValvesRule (May 20, 2009)

AlanJohn said:


> 1850 is when the first keyless watches came on the market, but I have a Graves English Lever that is 1910 which is a key wound watch, so they carried on making keyed watches in Britian at least for at least 60 years after the first keyless watch.
> 
> I think the Americans were quicker to adapt to the keyless watch than the British.


1922 here.


----------



## Shangas (Jan 27, 2008)

Keyless technology (as it was called back then), was developed in the 1830s or 1840s, I believe. It didn't finally become practical until about 1850. The very first keyless watches were sold to the public (or at least, displayed to them) at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.


----------

