stemwinder

[ stem-wahyn-der ]

/ ˈstɛmˈwaɪn dər /

a stemwinding watch.

Older Slang.

Origin of stemwinder

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; stem¹ + winder

There's a new bank examiner over at the First, and he's a stem-winder.

Roads of Destiny |O. Henry
"Stem-winder and -setter," continued Barrifield, undisturbed.

The Bread Line |Albert Bigelow Paine
One day after I had been at X—— a couple of months, we had a stem-winder of a storm.

Danger Signals |John A. Hill and Jasper Ewing Brady
Let's anybody look at it, and keeps a holt o' the stem-winder.

The Magnetic North |Elizabeth Robins (C. E. Raimond)

Mame was looking at the table like a boy looks at his first stem-winder.

Heart of the West |O. Henry

stem-winder

a watch wound by an expanded crown on the bar projecting outside the case, as opposed to one wound by a separate key Also called: stem-winding watch