escapement

1 9.9

A part in a clock or watch that makes the gears move at a steady speed

noun
/ɪˈskeɪpmənt/

Specialized

: escapamiento

To fix the watch, we need to clean the escapement mechanism to ensure it functions correctly.

Examples

Understanding the role of the escapement is crucial for anyone interested in horology or clockmaking.
And now with the escapement out, if we decide we want to run the clock, it will just spin through freely.
You want to get rid of this 2000, which has minor escapement issues, and replace it with... a Royal?

Blog text (18)
Here's the chimes and here's a detail of the escapement that we used.
I already have a Royal QDL with a tricky escapement, and I don't want my collection to fill up with problematic machines.

Blog text (18)
In-house at the manufacturer, they do everything from assembling escapement forks to making all of their own cases.

Blog text (20)
Later versions had fairly sophisticated linkages resembling clock escapements.

Academic text (2003)
For low power applications that require gradual energy release over time, one can consider a ratcheting mechanism along the lines of the spring-driven escapement in a mechanical watch.

Academic text (2010)
The clockmaker explained how the escapement regulates the movement of the gears at precise intervals.

Surface Forms

escapement singular

escapements plural

Morphology

escapement = escape (semi-transparent) = escape + ment

Formed from 'escape' + '-ment', the derivation is clear, but the specialized horological meaning (a clock mechanism) is technical and not obvious to general learners.

Etymology

Escapement comes from escape ('to let out' or 'get free'). In a clock an escapement lets power 'escape' a little at a time so the gears move in steady, regular steps, which is why it keeps the clock's time steady.