It’s hard to find good resources to succinctly explain how mechanical watches works, so I’ve compiled some articles, animations and videos that provide an overview.
Articles, and images/animations on how watches work
– Some pretty cool animations, and you can even spin them to view the movement from different angles (there is also a associated Animagraffs video
For very, very detailed articles…though I must admit that videos and animation (at bottom) always helps me digest faster:
– A Brief History Of Escapement Development from Nicholas Manouous on Hodinkee
– In-Depth: The Modern Watch Escapement, And How It Got That Way, Hodinkee
– How Watches Work: What Is An Automatic Watch And What Different Types Of Winding Weights Are There?, Fratello
– To Be Precise The Improbable Rise Of The Co-Axial Escapement, Hodinkee
Nothing beats (pen intended) a good video:
Full movement
– Mentioned above, the video How a Mechanical Watch Works from Animagraffs if a personal favorite
– How a Watch Works (Swiss lever escapement), Hamilton Watch (this, from the 40s, is an, um, “classic”! The highlight must be the “marching pieces” at 13:45)
Escapements (pallet fork and escape wheel)
– Explanation, how a verge escapement works, Croix Rousse Watchmaker
– Explanation, how a cylinder escapement works, Croix Rousse Watchmaker
Other
– Horizontal and vertical clutch, Seiko Museum
– Chronographs (2:50 on for animations briefly), Watches TV