crown wheel

noun

, Horology.

1. a wheel next to the winding knob, having two sets of teeth, one at right angles to its plane.
2. any of various wheels having the form of a hoop or short cylinder with a serrated edge, as the escape wheel in a verge escapement.

crown wheel

noun

1. horology the wheel next to the winding knob that has one set of teeth at right angles to the other
2. the larger of the two gears in a bevel gear

Word History and Origins

Origin of crown wheel¹

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

Just spin the Digital Crown wheel, wait for the alarm sound, and the water is pushed out.

From Wall Street Journal

I love the feel of the crown wheel.

From Wall Street Journal

Before I go to bed, I turn that crown wheel, and each click is definitive.

From Wall Street Journal

“The gear train ended in a wheel known as the crown wheel.”

From New York Times

The barrel was connected to a ratchet and there were combined therewith a train of toothed wheels and pinions, an escapement consisting of a crown wheel controlled by two pallets, which in turn were operated alternately by two weights on a balanced rod.

From Project Gutenberg