Swiss brass and steel watchmaker's 6mm mandrel-frame lathe
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1900
According to the auctioneer, this unsigned Swiss brass and steel watchmaker's mandrel-frame lathe dates to circa 1900 and is probably from Geneva. It features a U-shaped brass frame fitted with a brass handwheel and bevel gears driving an arbor designed to take 6mm split collets at the headstock.
An integral rectangular-section bed carries an adjustable toolrest mounted on a slider. The lathe is secured by a base tongue to a wooden display plinth with drilled holes holding a selection of eight collets.
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
- Type
- Watchmaker's lathe
- Mounting
- Wooden plinth drilled with holes for eight collets
- Dimensions
- Frame 27.5 cm long; overall approx. 34 cm long, 11.5 cm wide, 16 cm high
- Attribution
- Unsigned, probably Geneva, circa 1900
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Bed and Toolrest
- Integral rectangular section bed with adjustable toolrest
- Frame Construction
- U-shaped brass frame with handwheel and bevel gears
Design
- Visible features
- • U-shaped brass body supported over a rectangular wooden riser and stepped wooden base • Horizontal rectangular bed extending to the left with an adjustable steel T-shaped rest secured by a clamping screw • Gearing and hand crank positioned at the right end driving the central arbor • Eight accessory collets arranged upright in drilled sockets along the front of the wooden base
- Bed, Toolrest, and Workholding
- The lathe includes an integral rectangular-section bed fitted with an adjustable toolrest mounted onto a slider. Observations note the bed extending horizontally to the left, with the adjustable steel T-shaped rest secured by a clamping screw. The arbor takes 6mm split collets at the headstock, and the lathe is mounted onto a wooden plinth drilled with sockets displaying a selection of eight upright collets.
- Attribution, Mounting, and Dimensions
- The cataloguing describes the lathe as unsigned, probably from Geneva, and dating to circa 1900. It is secured via a base tongue to a wooden display plinth with a rectangular wooden riser and stepped base. The frame is recorded as 27.5 cm long, with overall measurements of approximately 34 cm in length, 11.5 cm (catalogued with parenthetical 4.5cm) in width, and 16 cm (6.25 ins) in height. The cataloguer also notes that a related mandrel set-up configured as a lathe is illustrated in Theodore R. Crom's Horological Shop Tools 1700-1900, page 535 (Figure 1058).
- Frame Architecture and Mechanical Drive
- The instrument features a U-shaped brass frame fitted with a brass handwheel and bevel gears that drive an arbor designed to hold 6mm split collets at the headstock. Observation of the lathe shows the gearing and hand crank positioned at the right end of the assembly driving the central arbor, with the frame elevated on a wooden plinth structure.
Identification
- 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: Origin in Geneva is qualified as probable by the auction house
- Research required: Wooden base and display mounting are noted as later additions ('now mounted')