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The man slipped a long dark iron knife, almost a short sword, from his belt, and after breathing on it, handed it hilt-first to Puck, who took it with his head on one side, as you should when you look at the works of a watch, squinted down the dark blade, and very delicately rubbed his forefinger from the point to the hilt.

This is from "Rewards and Fairies" "The Knife and Naked Chalk Hill" http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/digi300.pdf

I can't understand the meaning of " the works of a watch " Is this just the movement of a watch?

I am glad if some one kindly teach me.

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  • The "works" are the delicate and complicated moving parts inside an old-fashioned mechanical watch--the parts that make the watch work.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Commented Nov 3, 2016 at 0:41

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as you should when you look at the works of a watch,

Here "works" means "clockwork". Clockwork are small and precise and difficult to see, so you have to look at them very intently.

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  • If it helps, the Japanese for this is 時計仕掛け.
    – Andrew
    Commented Nov 3, 2016 at 0:44
  • Thank you so much for your answer and kind comment of Japanese so that i can understand it so clearly!
    – Hiroshi Inagaki
    Commented Nov 3, 2016 at 3:50
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The "works" are the delicate and complicated moving parts inside an old-fashioned mechanical watch--the parts that make the watch work.

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