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Bloodstone Swivel Key

Sale price$245.00
The Story: 
This Victorian, sterling silver pocket watch winding key from the late 1800s features an bloodstone and carnelian that swivel on an axis. This little key would have originally been used to manually wind and keep your pocket watch in time. This piece was made and sourced in England.
This silver pocket watch winding key measures 1.5” in and hangs from a modern sterling silver swivel clasp.

THE HISTORY:

The very first pocket watches, since their creation in the 16th century and up until the third quarter of the 19th century, had key-wind and key-set movements. A watch key was necessary to wind the watch to keep and set the time. For convenience, these keys were often attached to a man's pocket watch chain to have close by in order to keep proper and correct time. And, in true Victorian fashion, these little functional pieces were often elaborately adorned with gemstones, engravings, or meaningful sentiments. Winding keys became less relevant at the onset of the Industrial Revolution when clock construction became more self-reliant and didn't constantly require manual maintenance.