IMPROVE- MENTS IN WATCHES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Numa Stram, of 12, Ashby Street, Northampton
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WATCHES."
Sealed the 4th April 1862, and dated the 11th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Numa Stram at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
October 1861.
I, NUMA STRAM, of 12, Ashby Street, Northampton Square, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WATCHES," to be as follows:-
Watches called "remontoir" have already been made, that is to say,
watches that can be wound by means of an axis, on the end of which is a head
adapted to the pendant of the watch. Watches have also been made called
"reversible," that is to say, that the works of the watch are contained in
an open faced case, which is itself enclosed in a second open faced case, so
that the interior case being reversible it forms with the exterior case a hunt-
ing watch if its back is adapted to the open ring of the exterior case, or an
open faced watch if its dial is placed beneath the ring of the outer case.
My Invention consists in the combination of these two systems.
For this purpose the interior case which contains the watch movement
is fixed on a pivot adapted to a joint fixed on the middle part or "collier".

page_text: of the exterior case (as has before been proposed), so that by reversing the
interior case on this pivot a hunting watch or an open faced watch is ob-
tained.
The winder consists of a head fixed on the end of an axis connected with
the works of the watch; this head is exactly opposite to the pivot uniting the
two cases, so that the head always comes to the same point of the middle
piece of the exterior case. At this point an opening is made to admit the head;
this opening is made in such manner that when the exterior case is closed
the watch has the appearance of an ordinary open faced watch or an ordinary
hunting watch.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Numa Stram in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NUMA
STRAM, of 12, Ashby Street, Northampton Square, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Numa Stram, Her special licence that I, the said
Numa Stram, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Numa Stram, 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 WATCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Numa Stram, 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 Numa Stram, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say:
Watches called "remontoir," have already been made, that is to say,
watches that can be wound by means of an axis, on the end of which is a
head adapted to the pendant of the watch. Watches have also been made
called "reversible," that is to say, the works of the watch are contained in an
open faced case which is itself enclosed in a second open face, cased so that the
interior case being reversible it forms with the exterior case a hunting watch
if its back is adapted to the open ring of the exterior case, or an open faced
watch if its dial is placed beneath the ring of the outer case.
My Invention consists in the combination of these two systems. For this
purpose the interior case, which contains the watch movement, is fixed on a
pivot adapted to a joint fixed on the middle part or "collier," of the exterior
case (as has before been proposed) so that by reversing the interior case on
this pivot, a hunting watch or an open faced watch is obtained. The winder
consists of a head fixed on the end of an axis connected with the works of
the watch; this head is exactly opposite to the pivot uniting the two cases
so that the head always comes to the same point of the middle piece of the
exterior case. At this point an opening is made to admit the head; this opening
is made in such manner that when the exterior case is close the watch has
the appearance of an ordinary open faced watch, or an ordinary hunting
watch.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, I will
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
The Drawings show different views of a watch constructed according to
my Invention. Figure 1 is a back view; Figure 2 a front view shewing the
watch as an open faced watch; Figure 3, a front view shewing the watch
as a hunting watch; and Figure 4 shews the inner case which contains the
watch movement turned up into such a position that it can either be wound
or turned on its pivot; Figure 5 shows on an enlarged scale a section taken
through the pivot on which the inner case turns, in each of these Figures the
same letters refer to the same parts. a is the interior case containing the
watch movement; one side of this case is furnished with a dial which is covered
with a glass; this case is enclosed within another case which is composed of
the middle part or "collier" b, which has hinged to it on one side an open
ring c, and on the other a back d. The case a can be turned around the
pivot or small screw e, which projects from the small piece e¹; this piece is
capable of turning around the pin of the binge which connects the open ring c
to the middle part or "collier "6 of the exterior case. The pin of this hinge is

page_text: not opposite to the ring or pendant of the outer case, but is as is shown in the
Drawings at an angle of 45° to a line passing through the ring and the centre
of the case, a line also passing through the pivot and the centre of the inner
case containing the watch movement is at an angle of 45° to a line passing
through the Figures 12 and 6 on the dial of the inner case. The Figure 12
on the dial of the inner case can therefore, by turning the inner case on the
pivot e, so that its dial is beneath the open ring of the outer case 6 brought
into the position shown at Figure 2, it being then in the proper position for
an open face watch or by reversing the inner case so that its dial is beneath
the back of the outer case, the Figure 12 on the dial can be brought into
the position shown at Figure 3, it being then in a proper position for a hunting
watch; is the head of the winder, this head is received in the recess b¹ in
"collier" b, and as the head is exactly opposite to the pivot e, the head will
lie in the recess whichever way the inner case is turned.
-In witness whereof, I, the said Numa Stram, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.