IMPROVEMENTS IN REMONTOIRS FOR WINDING-UP AND SETTING RIGHT WATCHES WITHOUT KEYS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Célestin Philippe Gontard, of No. 60, Boulevart de
Strasbourg, Paris, in the Empire of France, Watchmaker, for the Inven
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REMONTOIRS FOR WINDING-UP AND SETTING
RIGHT WATCHES WITHOUT KEYS,"
Sealed the 21st December 1860, and dated the 2nd July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Célestin Philippe Gontard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd July 1860.
I, CELESTIN PHILIPPE GONTARD, of No. 60, Boulevart de Strasbourg, Paris,
in the Empire of France, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REMONTOIRS' FOR WINDING-UP AND SETTING
RIGHT WATCHES WITHOUT KEYS," to be as follows:-
In this Invention the winding-up of the spiral spring is worked as usual in
watches provided with common "remontoirs," that is to say, by a pinion
actuating an intermediate double-toothed wheel, which causes the barrel
spindle to rotate. The setting right of the watch is independant of the
winding-up, the novelty of the Invention consists, principally, in the division of
these two operations, which are independant from each other, and performed
by different organs. In the "remontoir" watches, as made at present, a small
mechanism was pushed inwards in gear for turning the hands round and setting

page_text: them right, now I obtain the same result by a much simpler mechanism,
namely, by pulling the pinion from the centre to gear with a spur wheel
actuating the hands. When both organs were united, there was much com-
plication in the mechanism, their separation allowed me to simplify them in
a great measure. By their separation great simplification is obtained, and 5
all the advantages and improvements which forms this Patent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Célestin Philippe Gontard in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CELESTIN
PHILIPPE GONTARD, of No. 60, Boulevart de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Empire
of France, Watchmaker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Célestin Philippe Gontard, Her special licence that I, the said Célestin
Philippe Gontard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Célestin Philippe Gontard, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REMONTOIRS FOR WINDING-UP AND SETTING RIGHT WATCHES
WITHOUT KEYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Célestin
Philippe Gontard, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Célestin Philippe Gontard, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
My improved "remontoir" differs from other "remontoirs" mainly on

page_text: account of the principle adopted to separate the two operations of winding-up
the spring of the watch, and setting the hands.
The annexed Drawing is intended to illustrate my Invention.
Fig. 1 is the plan on an enlarged scale of a watch completely set up, show-
ing the back; Fig. II. is the same watch shown on the dial side; the first
double-toothed wheel A, A', of the remontoir shown, Fig. 14, is mounted on
an axle provided with two pivots B, B', which allows to adjust it betwixt the
pallet plate and bridge C, in the same manner as a common wheel; this way
of fitting this wheel is preferable as cheaper, and more convenient for the
watchmaker when repairing the watch, because it can be quicker taken out or
put back than with a separate plate held by screws. The pinion X, Fig. 9, catches
with the teeth A' projecting upon the surface (Fig. 14), for working the winding-
up of the main spring by turning round the wheel A, Fig. 1, the latter acting
on the spring ratchet wheel. The pinion is carried by a spindle running
through the holding button Z, the spindle is actuated by turning the little
wheel W fixed on its end; the journals D, D', of the pinion X run in holes
drilled in bearing pieces E, E', (Fig. 5); Fig. 6 is a side view of the bearing
piece, and Fig. 8 is the same view, with the pinion set in its place; the axle
of this pinion is perforated with a square hole, in which is adjusted the squaro
part E of the spindle of the remontoir (Fig. 3.) This way of adjusting the
pinion X is for watches of a great value requiring very nice fitting, but for
cheaper watches I set them as shown Fig. 10, this pinion is also perforated
with a square hole as the former one, to receive the square part F of the
spindle Fig. 3; but this pinion has no shouldered journals, and the round
ends nearly as long, as the journals are fitted in recesses cut in the pallet plate,
and a steel plate G, G', fixed by screws over the said plate, will keep it from
playing in and out of this pallet plate. For watches of a still cheaper kind,
the steel plate G, G', can even be taken away as shown Fig. 7, especially if
the pallet plate is of a sufficient bearing on the ends of the pinion to resist
wearing out. In both dispositions shown in Figs. 7 and 10, the end of the
remontoir's spindle is formed into a collar, which runs in the thickness of the
pallet plate. In the latter time pieces I make the barrel spindle in a more
economical way, it will be similar to the spindle of watches having escapement
wheels, and held in the frame between the steel piece shewn Fig. 17, and the
ordinary bridge ("pont") on the opposite side. The ratchet wheel, Fig. 20, is
fitted on the square part H of that spindle Fig. 21, it is free between the
barrels, bridge, and top part or cap. Those three various arrangements which
can be used only with my system of "remontoirs "answer perfectly the re-
quirement of each kind of watches, they will give in any case a solid and

page_text: durable "remontoir," which can be made with click and spring work, which
work would be put in the part of the remontoir's spindle that run in the nob Z
of the hanger.
Now I will describe the part of my Invention relating to the setting right
the watch, that is to say, for altering the position of the hands also without key.
The intermediate minute wheel is fitted for that purpose on the centre of a
pinion, the end of which is formed into a pivot, which pinion is held between
the pallet plate and bearing I, Fig. 11; this same wheel has a second set of teeth
J, J. Fig. 12, lodged in a suitable recess cut into the pallet plate; Fig. 13
shows this plate on the side of the pivot bearing, the place taken by the
bearing of the centre wheel is a little hollowed, which hollow is composed of
three recesses K, L, M; in the position M, the lower pivot of the pinion
carrying the intermediate wheel is shewn at N, the other pivot of the same
pinion runs in the bearing I, Fig. 11; several teeth of the wheel Fig. 12 are
shown at J, Fig. 13; the said teeth running through the hollow M, which is
In the hollow L is a
deeper than the length of the teeth of said wheel.
round brass block Fig. 1 perforated lengthways, in which is fitted a screw f;
another hole O is drilled across the said block, and the rod P, P', Fig. 19.
runs freely in that hole; on the other end P¹ of said rod or shaft, a pinion Q
is fitted, and a little coupling box R forming the other end, with a square hole
stamped into its centre to receive the square part T of the stem or spindle
shown, Fig. 18, which is button-shaped at V, whon the square part T of the
spindle, Fig. 18, is entered into the corresponding hole of the coupling end R
of the shaft, Fig. 19; it is held fast by a screw V, Fig. 16 and 19, this screw
running through the hole X drilled in the square part of the spindle.
The pieces shewn, Fig. 15, 16, 18, 19, together with the projecting teeth
of the intermediate wheel J, J', shown Fig. 12 and 16, from the combination
for setting the watch. It will be easily understood, by merely looking on the
Fig. 1, 5, 18, and 16, and without further description, how the hands of the
watch can be moved in either way, the button U outside of the watch being
drawn outwards, the pinion Fig. 5 and 16, is brought to gear at J with the
teeth of the wheel, and by turning round this button the intermediate wheel
will revolve, and the said wheel will impel the minute one. The section of the
intermediate when embodied with the crown one J, J', Fig 16, shews how the
wheels and pinions gear with one another, and the position of the driving
pinion, in Fig. 5 and 18, brought back out of gear by the button U when the
watch has been set right. In ladies' watches of a very small bulk, where the
room for lodging the centre and intermedia minute wheels is too low, the
setting right pinion Q is not fitted on, but embodied with the rod or shaft P, P',

page_text: Fig. 19, which is adjusted securely in the coupling box R, which allows
the use of a pinion of a low number, and so place the whole arrangement in a
very small space. If the brass block were to be made in two parts, as in
Fig. 23 and 24, the pinion, its rod, and coupling box could be made of a single
piece; Fig. 24 is a bit that is adjusted in the dovetailed notch A, A'; B, B',
the hole for running the rod, being drilled half in the block and half in the
bit, this latter being removed, the rod is put in or taken out; Fig. 25
and 26, shews the burring block with its bit in place; Fig. 27 shows it
provided with it pinion and coupling box, ready to put on the pallet
plate of the watch. A spring I, Fig. 22, fitted within the box bears on the
spindle S, when in its sliding motion either of the necks P, P', reaches under
the spring I, the latter holds the button at its place either when it is out
to set the watch right, or when it is back at its normal position near the box.
In Fig. 1, the button U is quite near the box, in Fig. 5, it is completely
drawn out, and in Fig. 22 it is only partly drawn out; when the spindle S, S',
is in this latter position the coupling R bears on a special spring which pushes
it back, the groove or neck P, instead of being rounded as in Fig. 16, 18, and
22, is square-shaped, and when the spring I enters this groove the latter
cannot be moved unless the spring is raised to get out of the groove, for the
purpose of raising it, there is a small sliding bolt in the periphery of the
box as in watches striking independant seconds, (or seconde indépendantes),
by driving the sliding bolts near button, the end of this bolt raises a little
spring inside of the watch, Fig. 22, and a special spring pushes out the button
enough to take it with the fingers and pull it out entirely. When the hands
are set right the sliding bolt is drawn back, and the button is pushed close
in so as to have the spring I entering again the groove P. The pivot cross
bearing of the centre wheel is pierced with a hole M, Fig. 1, through which
the screw put into the coupling box R, Fig. 16, can be seen, when the button
is pushed quite near the box, as in Fig. 1, the screw is unscrewed a little
and the spindle S, S, Fig. 18, can be easily removed when required for re-
pairing the watch.
Now the chief advantages of the improvements here above described over
the watches with "remontoirs" as hitherto made, which improvements I
claim as my Invention, are the general construction of two separate con-
trivances for winding-up and setting right watches and their adjustment,
combined with the movement in watch cases, as described and illustrated on
the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and more especially for the "remontoirs."
First, the use and arrangement of the double-toothed wheel, Fig. 14,
revolving freely on its pivots as described.

page_text: Second, the application of the said wheel disconnected from the movement
for setting the hands, the projecting teeth of this wheel can be very near the
axle so as to wind-up the watch quickly.
Thirdly, the conical shape of the driving pinion corresponding to the inner
and outer diameters of the crown wheel A', Fig. 14, which establishes the
natural ratio. betwixt the diameter. and speed, which would not be the case
if this pinion had a cylindrical shape, as is usually done.
Fourthly, the peculiar shape of the teeth, both of the wheel A', and its
leading pinion for the purpose of having a better and more solid gearing.
Fifthly, the use of a keying screw Y, shown Fig. 1, 2, and 4, for holding
at its place the spindle of the "remontoir," a very cheap and solid contrivance
allowing to take out the spindle by merely turning this screw half round.
For the setting of the watch :-Firstly, the complete independance of this
contrivance (for moving the hands either way) from the "remontoir" minute
pieces and all the other improvements of the watch.
Secondly, the doing away of any spring- in the movements either for the
remontoir or setting hands and of any other cumbersome piece under the dial.
Thirdly, the great simplicity of this contrivance to which is due the
efficaceousness of its work, and solidity of the whole.
Fourthly and lastly, one of the most important improvements of the mechan-
ism for setting right the watch, is that the part of the spindle used for
working this setting right is put in its place only when all the other parts of
the movement are in the watch case.
In witness whereof, I, the said Célestin Philippe Gontard, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Signed and sealed, in the presence of
L. D'AUBREVILLE, C. E.
P. GONTARD. (L.S.)