5 Watchmaker Lathes. What did I get myself into?!

Hi all. New to the forums. I actually signed up just to get some help identifying what I have inherited. My great uncle that I never got to meet was apparently quite the tinkerer. Just looking to get some information of what kind of lathes these are and if there's a market for them. The only lathe I'm keeping is a Unimat SL DB200 with autofeed and a ton of accessories. Also pictured is a Hartford bench filing machine he had. What's frustrating with the lathes is that most of the stuff has absolutely no brand marking on it! It makes researching quite difficult. Anyways, on to the pictures...

I see two D bed lathes and the rest pretty much Webster Whitcomb style, aka: WW watch makers or jewellers lathes. Typically 50mm center height, 8mm bore through the headstock.

Hit up the Watchmakers lathes section at Lathes + Machine Tool Archive in the machine tool archive and wander down the pages.

The three tools at the Left side Center, of the top picture are likely worth as much as the remainder of the lot. Milling slide, grinding slide, and a 3 axis cross slide.

Somewhere, there were boxes of collets that went with those lathes. Likely, lots and lots of them.

Prices? Search for WW Pattern Lathe on ebay and look at what actually sold, rather than what is being asked on Buy it Now sales.

That die filer is cute!

These are all worthless and dangerous to have. Fortunately for you, I am a government authorized dangerous old tool removal specialist and will remove these tool for you for FREE!!! It is a tough job but at least I'm scoring priceless antiques for nothing... I mean, at least I'm helping remove dangerous old tools and keeping the planet safe.

Joking aside, looks like a neat collection and your great uncle must have been a very interesting man. Good luck with his stash!

trevj said:

I see two D bed lathes and the rest pretty much Webster Whitcomb style, aka: WW watch makers or jewellers lathes. Typically 50mm center height, 8mm bore through the headstock.

Hit up the Watchmakers lathes section at Lathes + Machine Tool Archive in the machine tool archive and wander down the pages.

The three tools at the Left side Center, of the top picture are likely worth as much as the remainder of the lot. Milling slide, grinding slide, and a 3 axis cross slide.

Somewhere, there were boxes of collets that went with those lathes. Likely, lots and lots of them.

Prices? Search for WW Pattern Lathe on ebay and look at what actually sold, rather than what is being asked on Buy it Now sales.

That die filer is cute!

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Thank you for the info! What is the difference between the WW style and D-bed? Unfortunately not only do I not know anything about these lathes, but my knowledge of machining is severely lacking as well.

RCPDesigns said:

These are all worthless and dangerous to have. Fortunately for you, I am a government authorized dangerous old tool removal specialist and will remove these tool for you for FREE!!! It is a tough job but at least I'm scoring priceless antiques for nothing... I mean, at least I'm helping remove dangerous old tools and keeping the planet safe.

Joking aside, looks like a neat collection and your great uncle must have been a very interesting man. Good luck with his stash!

Click to expand...

I'm flattered you're so concerned with my personal safety! Little was known about my great uncle, as he passed away young in the 80's, but judging by the things I cleaned out of his house after my great aunt passed, I'm disappointed we never met!

I got my first WW watch lathe in 1958 and currently own several dozen of them. I know how to tell the maker of most watch lathe parts, even on the parts with no name. So, I can identify which parts go with which and I can even buy them, if that is your wish. But I am tied up for a while and won't have time to help you out until next week.

What town are they in?

Larry

L Vanice said:

I got my first WW watch lathe in 1958 and currently own several dozen of them. I know how to tell the maker of most watch lathe parts, even on the parts with no name. So, I can identify which parts go with which and I can even buy them, if that is your wish. But I am tied up for a while and won't have time to help you out until next week.

What town are they in?

Larry

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I'm not sure if you're able to see my state, but I'm in the Lehigh Valley area of PA. I'd love and appreciate the offer if you're close enough! And I'm in no rush!

Backwoodsfiero said:

I'm not sure if you're able to see my state, but I'm in the Lehigh Valley area of PA. I'd love and appreciate the offer if you're close enough! And I'm in no rush!

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That is a long valley, and a long way from Indiana. I can help some by email, but the only way I would drive that far is to pay a price you set and pick them up.

Larry

Backwoodsfiero:
I recently sold a lathe to Larry. He is an honest and pleasant gentleman.

Backwoodsfiero said:

Thank you for the info! What is the difference between the WW style and D-bed? Unfortunately not only do I not know anything about these lathes, but my knowledge of machining is severely lacking as well.

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The D bed lathes also called a Geneva Pattern Lathe, have a vertical flat surface that indexes the head and tail stocks. It amounts to being how the Swiss thought things 'ought to be done', vs. the Webster Whitcomb or American Pattern watchmakers lathe, which, as the name suggests, was adopted as pretty much the standard for how it was to be done in the USA, which was pretty much the world leader in the watch industry at the time.

I have seen Geneva pattern lathes that took 4mm diameter collets, as well as 6 and 8mm. The WW pattern lathes typically take a version of an 8mm collet, though, like so many things of the era, there were a fair few folks that thought their idea was better, or simply made their stuff different so you had to but replacements from them. The same basic style of lathe was also made larger, Levin, an American company, still makes a 10mm size lathe, as well as larger 'instrument makers' lathes were made along the same general lines, scaled up.