CARRIAGE

The carriage is an essential accessory of the lathe for the horologist (watchmaker). Fixed to the lathe bed, it carries the cutting tool (the graver) and allows it to be moved precisely relative to the rotating workpiece. Two perpendicular slides, controlled by cranks and micrometric screws, allow the tool to move along the longitudinal and transverse axes (X and Y), with a precision of about one hundredth of a millimeter. Thanks to the carriage, the horologist can perform regular and reproducible operations — facing, turning of seats, cutting of grooves — impossible to achieve free-lift with the same accuracy. The graduations of the Screws also make it possible to transfer precise dimensions and repeat the same value. On more elaborate Lathes and automatic Lathes, several Carriages can be combined. The Carriage illustrates the contribution of precision mechanics to the machining of horological components, where mastery of the tool’s movements is decisive.