Key-Wind

• 1). Locate the key to wind the Illinois Railroad pocket watch. If it’s missing, you may have to have a locksmith or watchmaker fabricate one to match the slot in the watch.
  
  
• 2). Turn the pocket face down in your hand. Use your fingernail to flip open the hinged dust cover on the back. Inside is the case back. The case back may have one or two key holes. If one key hole is present, insert the key and rotate clockwise until the watch is wound.
  
  
• 3). Insert the key into the second hole and rotate clockwise to set the time. Not all Illinois pocket watches have two key holes. If only one key hole is present, set the time by pulling the crown stem at 12 o’clock and rotating it.
  
  

Lever-Set

• 1). Locate the lever of a stem-wind lever-set Illinois pocket watch at 2 o’clock on the dial. Use your fingers to unscrew counterclockwise the bezel, which is the retainer ring that keeps the crystal in place, from the case.
  
  
• 2). Remove the crystal, which is the glass covering the dial..
  
  
• 3). Pull out the lever from the dial with your fingers. The crown is now free to rotate. Turn the crown clockwise until the proper time is set. Push the level back into the dial. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 in reverse order.
  
  

Pin-Set

• 1). Locate the small pin next to the crown at 11 or 1 o’clock on the case edge.
  
  
• 2). Depress the pin with your fingernail and hold it.
  
  
• 3). Rotate the crown until the correct time is set. Release the pin and rotate the crown to wind the watch.