Any idea what this is?

[Woolshire]

Ha…this was in a watchmakers estate I purchased years ago. Cleaning up the watch room and uncovered it. Never had any idea. I assume several here will know?

Edited January 3, 2022 by Woolshire

[JohnR725]

Unhelpful answer it looks like it's part of something else. One of the problems with watchmaker's are they like to accumulate things all sorts of things a lot of the things we accumulate may or may not have anything to do with watch repair. Then watchmakers also like to acquire stuff from other watchmakers this means you accumulate all kinds of mystery tools that were mysteries to others. This is where if you have access to meetings with other watchmakers occasion They will have a meeting to discuss the mystery tools and see if anyone knows what they are or not.

You have something that looks like it's part of a microscope of some sorts perhaps if you're lucky someone will recognize what it really is.

[jdm]

13 hours ago, Woolshire said:

Ha…this was in a watchmakers estate I purchased years ago. 

Which kind of dust is on it? Could be a precision grinding attachment, perhaps for optics.

[spectre6000]

Obviously a 2 axis whatever it is. Toolholder from the look of it. What's the bottom look like? Back, etc.

[Woolshire]

Made in England…and I’m in Iowa

optical grinding sounds reasonable.

on another note, I suggest something different than silver-grey carpet for a watch room floor
 

[spectre6000]

Not sure what it's intended for in the strictest sense, but it moves whatever is held in that tube precisely in two axes. Could easily be adapted for use in any number of applications requiring that sort of manipulation.

[Michael1962]

It's in metric as well which I would think is unusual for England? Well, England from a long time ago.

I believe (well the Internet said it so it must be true) that the metric system began to be used after 1965? It doesn't seem to have any way to be attached to a machine. In the first photo and the photo from the bottom, it looks like it has holes for mounting it to a bench.

After that, who knows. Maybe it's is just a doohickey?

[jdm]

3 hours ago, Michael1962 said:

It's in metric as well which I would think is unusual for England? Well, England from a long time ago.
I believe (well the Internet said it so it must be true) that the metric system began to be used after 1965?

To know if it's really metric one should check the leadscrews. The scales are just applied tags which may vary.

Certain industries, e.g. some (but not all) American watch factories had adopted the metric system already in 1800s. The UK is metric on paper but some people, e.g. hobby machinists on YouTube or equipment sellers are still stubbornly Imperial. And now after Brexit U.K consumers can finally see pounds and ounces prominently displayed on products, for ease of calculation.

 

[AndyHull]

1 hour ago, jdm said:

And now after Brexit U.K consumers can finally see pounds and ounces prominently displayed on products, for ease of calculation.

Yup, and we will be buying our beer in firkins and purchasing our gruel with florins before you know it.