These spider pocket watch keys were a fascinating and inventive accessory used in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were an essential part of timekeeping used to wind mechanical pocket watches before the advent of self-winding or keyless watches.

The term "spider" derives from their design, which featured multiple protruding arms or spokes resembling the legs of a spider and these arms often housed keys of varying sizes, making the tool compatible with many different watches making them especially useful for watchmakers and collectors.

They were typically made of brass, steel, or silver and could also often be decorated, as they were also considered a mark of status. For decades, spider keys were indispensable. But as the 19th century progressed, a revolutionary invention changed the game 'a keyless watch', making winding keys including spider keys obsolete by the late 19th century.