HAND OPERATED EQUIPMENT
This chapter covers the light tools directly handled by watchmaking professionals. These tools generally have a specific purpose and are used for a wide range of tasks, including handling, manufacturing, decorating, cleaning, as well as inspecting and measuring components.
ABRASIVES
Abrasives are useful for shaping and decorating components, by hand or machine. They can be used to remove material (lapping, planing, diamond cutting, etc.) or to improve or decorate the surface (satin finishing, sandblasting, horological decorations, and polishing). Abrasives must always have a hardness greater than the material being treated.
BENZINE CUP
The benzine cup is a container commonly found on a watchmaker’s workbench. It contains rectified benzine or other degreasing and cleaning agents used to clean various components.
BUFF STICK
It is a wooden stick covered with abrasive paper. Similar to files, the cross-section of buff sticks (flat, round, triangular) depends on the profile of the component being worked on. Buff sticks are typically used to smooth the marks left by filing or machining, or to perform various decorative operations (satin finishing, removing file strokes, etc.).
BURNISHERS
The burnisher is a handheld tool made of hard metal or stone (such as sapphire or diamond). It is used to work-harden the surface of a component, reducing its roughness, enhancing its surface hardness, and altering its mechanical properties, such as friction coefficient and corrosion resistance.
BOW-LATHE
A bow-lathe is a tool that allows for the manual engaging of a component or a tool in rotative movements.
CHISELS
Used by many artisans in the watchmaking industry (engravers, watchmakers, micromechanics, etc.), chisels are cutting tools. Their size, shape, and material vary according to the specific requirements of each use. Similarly, chisels can be handheld with a fitted handle or be part of a machine (such as a face lathe, lathe, automatic lathe, or machining centres).
DUST BLOWER
It is a rubber bulb designed to blow air and remove dust.
FILES
These are manual machining tools used to remove material like a rasp. Their shape and grain vary and are chosen according to the specific needs and the profile of the component being worked on.
JAW-PADS
These are accessories for the vice, consisting of soft metal plates placed between the vice jaws and the component or object being held, to prevent marking or deforming the surface.
PIERCING SAW
It is a type of jeweller’s saw used in traditional craftsmanship for cutting the profile of components, or for piercing and skeletonizing parts of the movement.
SCREWDRIVERS
Alongside loupes and tweezers, screwdrivers are essential tools for watchmakers. They are distinguished by their unique construction and method of use.
SHELLAC
It is a natural bioadhesive polymer secreted by an Asian insect. Considered a natural thermoplastic, shellac is hard and solid at room temperature with a melting point of 75°C. Shellac is used as a cement or adhesive by watchmakers, engravers, and setters, and it serves as an excellent binder for abrasive powders (shellac stones).
TWEEZERS
Tweezers are made up of two typically metallic blades. They are primarily used for handling components and can come in various shapes depending on desired purposes and needs.
VICE
It is a clamping tool that securely holds a component, a component support, or even a tool between its two jaws (or grips). In watchmaking, the vice is typically firmly attached to the watchmaker’s workbench.
VICE-BLOCK
Made from hardwood, the vice-block is a support or fixture designed to hold a tool or component in place.
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