Remonitoir mechanism Remontoire is a horological term derived from the French for ‘to wind’. A remontoir mechanism is a winding mechanism composed of a small secondary spring usually attached to one of the train wheels. It is used to apply power to the balance wheel and the escapement mechanism in a watch. The remonitoire is periodically re-wound by the power from the mainspring. As long as it is wound, the remontoire spring will provide almost unvarying energy to the escapement. When clockmaker Larcum Kendall manufactured and trialled his K2 marine timekeeper in 1772, he omitted the remontoire mechanism. Thus, K2 never performed as well as John Harrison’s groundbreaking (and more expensive) marine timekeeper, H4.
