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- Nov 14, 2016
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I picked up this 50mm WW style watchmakers lathe last month. I've been casually looking for a lathe like this as I would like to eventually do some watch and clock work (I love gears and gizmos).
The seller said he bought it at an estate sale, but has since decided he just doesn't have the time to take up a new hobby so it was time to find it a new home. The price was nice, also came with a neat watchmakers desk filled with tools and was only 10 minutes away so I was happy to welcome it into my shop.
Talking with the seller it had belonged to a retired local jewelry and watch repair shop owner. It has obviously sat for sometime so it needs a good cleaning and a little repair, but overall is in pretty good shape.
As it was when I picked it up.
It was made by the Waltham Watch Tool Company of Springfield Massachusetts and is a 50mm WW style lathe.
I was having trouble finding info on the Waltham Watch Tool Co, as apparently Massachusetts was a hot bed of watchmakers lathes in the late 19th and early 20th century being the home of the American Watch Tool Company, Webster Whitcomb (the WW that this style of lathe is named for) Derbyshire, Waltham Machine Works and many others. Other than a reference at Lathes UK that the Waltham Machine Works is not related to the Waltham Watch Tool Company I was coming up empty on the maker of this lathe.
Vintage Machinery came to the rescue, there is a small entry for the Waltham Watch Tool Company, established in 1883 as a reorganization of the Hopkins Watch Tool Company of Waltham, MA Company by Calen Van Norman and his sons. It goes on to say that the company moved to Springfield, MA in 1890 and would become the Van Norman Machine Tool Company in 1912 or 1914. With that information I'm guessing this little lathe was made between 1890 and 1914. It looks pretty good for being more than 100 years old.
The seller said he bought it at an estate sale, but has since decided he just doesn't have the time to take up a new hobby so it was time to find it a new home. The price was nice, also came with a neat watchmakers desk filled with tools and was only 10 minutes away so I was happy to welcome it into my shop.
Talking with the seller it had belonged to a retired local jewelry and watch repair shop owner. It has obviously sat for sometime so it needs a good cleaning and a little repair, but overall is in pretty good shape.
As it was when I picked it up.
It was made by the Waltham Watch Tool Company of Springfield Massachusetts and is a 50mm WW style lathe.
I was having trouble finding info on the Waltham Watch Tool Co, as apparently Massachusetts was a hot bed of watchmakers lathes in the late 19th and early 20th century being the home of the American Watch Tool Company, Webster Whitcomb (the WW that this style of lathe is named for) Derbyshire, Waltham Machine Works and many others. Other than a reference at Lathes UK that the Waltham Machine Works is not related to the Waltham Watch Tool Company I was coming up empty on the maker of this lathe.
Vintage Machinery came to the rescue, there is a small entry for the Waltham Watch Tool Company, established in 1883 as a reorganization of the Hopkins Watch Tool Company of Waltham, MA Company by Calen Van Norman and his sons. It goes on to say that the company moved to Springfield, MA in 1890 and would become the Van Norman Machine Tool Company in 1912 or 1914. With that information I'm guessing this little lathe was made between 1890 and 1914. It looks pretty good for being more than 100 years old.