Unknown Lathes Home Page Watchmaker's Lathes Here
Yet another unbranded watchmaker's lathe - perhaps of French or Swiss origin and of the heavier WW (Webster-Whitcombe) type. The design of the compound slide-rest assembly is unusual - the whole assembly being arranged to swivel on a degree-graduated boss and of unusually heavy construction for this class of lathe. In addition, both slides appears to have some sort of parallel drive - perhaps some step-down gearing connect the two to give a finer rate of feed. the exposed screw at the back of the slide being of an extraordinarily coarse pitch. Useful micrometer graduations are engraved into the periphery of each full-circle handwheel, an economical and simple way of providing this essential function if, perhaps, rather on the crude side for a high-class machine tool. The slide's two T-slots appear to have been broken and repaired by the usual method of fitting screwed-on top plates - the "Norman Patent" height-adjustable and swivelling toolholder is obviously not original, nor is the 3-step, aluminium headstock pulley.
From the appearance of the knurling on the thimbles at each end of the slides, the lathe appears to date from around pre-1910.
Does anybody recognise this unusual lathe, or have one that is similar?