The very initial pocket watches, since their creation within the sixteenth century, up till the third quarter of the nineteenth century, had key-wind and key-set movements. A special watch key was necessary to wind the watch and to set the time. This was sometimes done by opening the case back and golf shot the key over the winding-arbor (which was set over the watch's winding-wheel, to wind the mainspring) or by golf shot the key onto the setting-arbor, that was connected with the minute-wheel and turned the hands. Some watches of this era had the setting-arbor at the front of the watch, in order that removing the crystal and edge was necessary to line the time. Vintage Pocket Watch keys square measure the origin of the category key, common appurtenances for American high-school and university graduation.

Many keywind watch movements build the use of a fusee, to enhance isochronism. The fusee could be a specially cut conelike simple machine hooked up by a fine chain to the spring barrel. once the spring is absolutely wound (and its force the highest), the complete length of the chain is wrapped round the fusee and therefore the force of the spring is exerted on the littlest diameter portion of the fusee cone. because the spring unwinds and its force decreases, the chain winds back onto the spring barrel and pulls on a progressively larger diameter portion of the fusee. This provides an additional uniform quantity of force on the watch train, and so leads to additional consistent balance amplitude and higher isochronism. A fusee could be a sensible necessity in watches employing a verge mechanical device, and might conjointly give considerable profit with a lever mechanical device and different high exactness forms of escapements

Keywind watches also are usually seen with typical going barrels and alternative forms of mainspring barrels, notably in Yankee watchmaking.