Clockmaker Finds Tiny Leaf Inside Pocket Watch; Owner Blames October

A Bell Street clockmaker opened a stopped pocket watch today and found a tiny dry leaf fragment wedged beneath the balance bridge. The owner carries the watch in an outer coat pocket.

The clockmaker says the fragment likely entered when the case was opened outdoors to reset the hands. The owner says October “gets everywhere,” which the clockmaker considers poetic but mechanically incomplete.

The movement has been cleaned and is running normally. The owner has been advised to close the watch before putting it back in the coat pocket. No action against October is planned.