The lever is a two-armed connection between the escapement wheel and the balance wheel or pendulum. It receives the power from the escapement wheel and delivers it to the time normal (pendulum or balance wheel). At the same time it interrupts the flow of the escapement and the gear train at regular time intervals, as determined by the oscillation of the balance wheel (or pendulum).

The lever is one of the most stressed parts of a mechanical clock, because in it both sliding friction and shock impacts occur.

Due to its shape, the lever is sometimes called the anchor.

• Swiss lever escapement
• Escape wheel