19th-Century Watch and Clock Wheel Rounding Machine
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
19th century
This horological tool is a 19th-century rounding-up machine intended for rounding the teeth of watch and clock wheels after cutting. Constructed of brass and steel components, the apparatus is supported on a turned brass pedestal mounted atop a rectangular wooden base fitted with a lower drawer.
It incorporates a large hand-cranked brass drive wheel with curved spokes, an adjustable carriage assembly, vertical knurled adjustment thumbscrews, and handles described by the seller as ivory.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Era
- 19th century
- Type
- Rounding-up tool
- Base feature
- Base with drawer
- Tool function
- Rounding watch and clock wheel teeth
- Handle material
- Ivory
Design
- Visible features
- • Large brass hand wheel featuring curved, wave-form spokes and an attached crank with dark turning grip. • Central turned brass pedestal support fixed to a rectangular wooden plinth with an integrated front drawer and small pull knob. • Complex brass and steel carriage assembly fitted with dual vertical knurled thumbscrews, horizontal arbors, and pale turned adjustment handles.
- Visible Physical Construction
- Visible observation shows a "Central turned brass pedestal support fixed to a rectangular wooden plinth with an integrated front drawer and small pull knob." This mounting raises the brass mechanism above the bench surface. Mounted to the standard is a "Large brass hand wheel featuring curved, wave-form spokes and an attached crank with dark turning grip." Adjacent to the drive wheel is a "Complex brass and steel carriage assembly fitted with dual vertical knurled thumbscrews, horizontal arbors, and pale turned adjustment handles."
- Identity and Functional Context
- The catalogued object is described by the source as a "machine for rounding the wheels of watches and clocks from the 19th century". According to the seller listing, the tool's intended workshop role was post-cutting wheel finishing: "It allowed the teeth of watch or clock wheels to round, after cutting." The seller also notes that "This beautiful machine was used regularly by the watchmaker who owned it." However, no specific watchmaker name, maker signature, or workshop location is recorded in the source text.
- Reported Accessories and Source Limitations
- The listing documentation states that the machine includes "its ivory handles, and all its strawberries and cleats." The term "strawberries" represents a literal translation of the French horological term "fraises" (circular rounding-up cutters). The drawer is visible only in its closed position in the primary photograph, meaning the reported cutters and cleats cannot be visually verified from this image. Furthermore, the identification of the handle material as ivory is an unverified dealer assertion.
Identification
- Reference
- 645020
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The drawer contents, mentioned in the listing as milling cutters ('strawberries') and cleats, are not displayed open in the primary image.
- Research required: Maker name, workshop stamps, and precise regional origin are not recorded in the source documentation.