Charles P. Corliss’ 1886 Patent Stem Winding and Setting Mechanism on the Elgin 18-Size Model 5
By Charles P. Corliss was awarded four distinct U.S. patents for stem winding/setting mechanisms he created while model maker at the Elgin National Watch Company. Recently, we inspected the mechanism that was fitted on the “Model 1895” 16-Size movements, patented by Corliss in 1897. While most of his patented designs are related to the 16-Size models at the factory, Corliss’s earlier 1886 patent was chosen as the setting mechanism for Elgin’s 18-Size Model 5. The accompanying image shows this mechanism with the spring depressed while in a case activating the design, a method leveraged in other Corliss patents.
