This
is probably the third or even fourth post on 102 - the most agonising tool
acquisition since we decided to get into watch manufacturing. Full credit goes
to a handful of subscribers who, despite my own doubts, remained stubbornly supportive
and pointed out the obvious: while 102 costs more than a mid-class European
sedan, it will not only pay itself off
but it will outlast 5 cars.
Yet
it was only after we unpacked the lathe that we were blown away with its
beauty.
And
I am not talking here merely about the quality of workmanship, the lack of
backlash, or the way various attachments fit perfectly into each other. It
is the very maturity of the Schaublin lathe that will impress any keen machinist:
after 100 years of development, 102 has reached the stage where
there
is really nothing that could have been done better, simpler, more accurate
or more beautiful. We could hear its voice: "I, the tool, was here decades
before your grandfather, making watch and clock parts. And I am here to stay,
to outlive you and your apprentices. Respect me, take good care of me, learn
how to play me and play with me - and
you will be amazed."
In
a way, my mission is accomplished. We got the Stradivarius - and we are now
ready for an Aussie Paganini to play on it.
Thinking
of becoming a watchmaker's apprentice? More than ever, we are looking
for enthusiastic, keen and talented kids to join our project in January
2019. Time to apply - is now.
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