Produced during and for a short time after WW2, today Pultra watchmakers' lathes are rare. There were two types: a Geneva-pattern machine, made to hold either 8 mm or 10 mm collets and sold as the "P.T.A. 8" and "P.T.A. 10" (or sometimes, confusingly, as the "Series 8" and Series 10") and a lighter "WW" style 8 mm machine that may have been the Company's first production model. Unfortunately, no technical details, nor even the Series Designation of the latter are known. Although the company's general advertising literature made clear a distinction between the P.T.A. 8 and P.T.A. 10, all examples found of each type have been arranged to accept 8 mm collets - indeed, the only known surviving brochure for the 10 confirms this fitting as standard. If produced, a Series 10 that actually does take 10 mm collets must be rare. Two types of bed have been discovered: one a plain bar - flattened on the top (in the usual Geneva style) and the other machined with a full-length T-slot down the flat section.
As interest in traditional horology increases, numbers of Pultra watchmaker's lathes are beginning to emerge from long hibernation, though the writer has to express something of a disappointment concerning one he found in the late 9090s. Upon retrieving the pristine maker's box from the back of a junk cupboard, and beholding the array of perfectly preserved and complete accessories, he enquired where the lathe itself might be. The brother of the deceased owner, obviously not versed in the matter of quality machine tools, replied casually, "Oh, that b***** little thing. Chucked it into the dustbin. Far too f****** small to turn anything, that little **** was." Upon which comments the writer was, for once, lost for words.
Whilst the Model 10 had a distinctive appearance, the "WW" lathe was of entirely conventional design with all the major components - bed, headstock, tailstock and compound slide rest - stamped with the distinctive Pultra trademark name. Although the headstock and tailstock differed in design, the top section of the bed - with its bevelled edges and central T-slot - was identical to that used on other Pultra lathes and hence could carry most of the accessories from the rest of the range.
Pultra 10 photo essay here
If you are the owner of either of these rare machines and can supply photographs or copies of the maker's literature, the author would be very pleased to hear from you.
Tony Griffiths