Good morning all,

This past weekend I was able to pick up a very early watchmakers bench. This one is awesome. Hope to be able to post some pics.
It is a roll top oak w/ the orginal tredal (sp) lathe and tooling. One of the gravers is marked 1891. It is like Christmas in March.

I would like to know if there is a market for a "new" copy of this bench. I have several Amish woodworker friends and customers that do excellent work. My thought is to copy the one I have and reproduce in oak or walnut. I would like your thoughts. If you were looking what would you pay? Shipping would be the only "big" issue.

Thanks

A watchmaker's bench is something I've been looking to acquire for a while. I'm checking out various options, including new ones, like this very basic single-bank model that Otto Frei is offering for $1225 (plus $50 crating and $271 shipment with "inside" delivery from Oakland, CA), or one of two double-bank roll-top antique benches my watchmaker's father has got for sale (no price mentioned yet, but they sound nice, one oak, one walnut).

I tend to think the locally-available antique benches will be my best bet as long as my watchmaker's dad doesn't have too big of a price in mind -- but he only lives 10 miles away, so I don't think there will be any crating/shipping issue.

As far as your Amish cabinet maker friend is concerned, that's yet another attractive-sounding option, and a lot closer to where I live in Southwestern PA, but it would still have to be crated & shipped by common carrier.

To answer your question, I guess $1000-1500 for a nice roll-top model with cubby-holes wouldn't seem out of line to me.


"Bare Bones" Single-Bank Bench from Otto Frei -- $1546 Delivered to My House

Thanks for the response. I agree if you can find an orginal that is the best. I now have three benches. My wife gave me one for Christmas before we got married. It is fuctional but certainly not a piece to admire. I am going to borrow a camera this weekend and will post some pics of the orginal. What I have in mind for reproduction will be something you could put in the living room if the wife would allow. Nice finish, raised pannels brass hardware. It will be top side stuff. Thanks again!!

Southwestern PA is not that far!!

Edward -- That's a jeweler's bench rather than a watchmaker's bench. You can get a bare-bones watchmaker's bench for $585 from Casker, and also from other suppliers. See this link.

These break down for shipping so the cost is vastly reduced. I got one of these almost 20 years ago and it has served me well. I'd love a roll-top bench but the workspace I have -- by a window -- wouldn't give me room for one.

Thanks for the clarification & link René, that looks like an excellent option, a little assembly to put it together would be well worth the savings.

I'll have to see how much the antique bench would cost me and then I'll decide which way I want to go.

You are right on both counts type and construction. The roll top watch bench is not like a roll top desk however. The top actually folds completly to the back and the sides are hinged and will fold outward from the table. I'm going to go online to look for a pic to post.

I knew if I looked hard enough. Check the pics below.

and another

Last one

Now that's nice!!

Further, if one is not too large a watchmaker you can buy a freestanding matching drawer set that just fits under the left side of the Rondeau bench, which used to be made in California. That gives you lots of room for all the doodads such as 10 different roller removers. Before ordering ask them to get a quote. I think the co. is in Ventura, Calif. JJW

I picked up my new bench yesterday. It was built in 1950 and features a glass enclosure to catch flying parts and to keep customers from picking stuff up. Bought it from an old watchmaker who was closing shop. $80.00

You would be hard pressed to buil one for $80.00. Looks like a great deal!
I will be posting some pics in the future of the reproduction benches I will have. Plans are being made now. It will be a roll top like the one pictured above and I will do it in quarter sawn oak or walnut.

Bob,

I think you're right, today the raw stock & hardware for that bench would most likely cost you more than $80.00!

Jim,

I think that glass enclosure is a cool idea, in case a part squirts out of your tweezers!

Bob,
That is one GORGEOUS Roll Top Bench!!!!!!!!!!!

Very Nice indeed, and I sure would love to have one of those.

I would love to see Norm Abrams on the Discovery Channel having a go at making one of the rolltop benches
Jim Carroll

Jim,
Yep, and maybe add one of these!

Or maybe this one.

You can buy the plans for both of the clocks too.

Got My "Local" Watchmaker's Bench Today

This bench was bought secondhand about 50 years ago by my present watchmaker's father, who is now 88 years old and well past being able to work on watches.

It's a single-bank bench about 80 years old, with solid hardwood construction throughout and quality joinery. The parts you can see are black walnut, with the balance being poplar.

This bench is very solid, with rabbeted drawer fronts and a "floor" underneath, which ties everything together and makes the whole structure a rigid unit.

For $600 delivered to my house, I think I got a good value.



Front Side -- Note "Floor" Underneath

Ed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Good Value" doesn't even BEGIN to describe the great find this bench is!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm working on my new apartment now, and I plan on having my very own corner for my watches, so I have been thinking of a watch bench, but to say that I could ever find one like these here, is most likely like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

I sure hope that you guys know how fortunate you are to own these fantastic benches.

Thank you so much for sharing them with us.

Ed nice looking bench these are well built i have one very similar to this in my storage shed.

Sheila, give your name to local antique stores. They have stuff like that roll in and out all the time, and many times don't know who would want such a thing.....besides folks like us! (grins)

I was in Maryville, TN last summer, and walked in a shop that had THREE stored in an upper room. They wanted $200 and less for each. They're out there. You just have to do some snooping. Many times shop keepers don't even know what they are!

Regards! Mark

Sheila
I have been trying to buy an old watchmaker shop for a while. He finally let me have one bench, the lathe, collets, motor, pedel for motor, light, and 2 drawers full of tools for $100.
I promise when he lets the rest go I will let you know first about his other bench.
LOL All I have to do know is learn how to use the stuff.

Gary

Ed, I would say that you made a super deal! Just the construction alone makes it so much better than the ones today that are all plywood. I saw one a couple of weeks ago in NC that was newer than yours and the asking price was $600.00 and you had to hall it away. Yours is much nicer. If you never use it as a bench the antique value is well worth what you gave. I priced a crystal cabinet that looked really neat. It was all oak and orginal. That was $600.00. I am begining a restoration on the roll top I purchased. I'd like to replate the hardware and refinish the wood, not strip it! As soon as I can get a camera I'll post some pics.

I like a big parts catcher on a watchmaker's bench. The old benches had the right idea, but I think the parts catching drawers are too small on them.

Bob,

I also bought a 5-drawer VTF crystal cabinet with 4000 plus crystals, which I set up behind my bench. I've got a tool & die marker's tool cabinet to the left, which shows in my picture. That's where I keep my parts and watches needing work.

Lighting is temporarily jury-rigged with a floor lamp. I need to get a nice big swing-away type task light and clamp it onto the bench.

I think you are right not to strip the original finish off your bench. Generally for antique furniture, stripping the original finish greatly degrades the value. The darker and grungier it is, the more furniture buffs prize it as a "sign of age."

I intend to just go a gentle surface cleaning on mine and then put some paste wax on it. The waxing will be especially important on the top of my bench, which was used enough to wear the finish totally off of the front-center portion.

I'd love to have a crystal cabinet like that!!
Try "Howards" refinishing products for your bench. I have had great sucess with the whole line. One of my watch friends uses a piece of plate glass for the top of his bench and that works well. Good luck on the refinish job!!

Bob,

Here's a picture of the VTF crystal cabinet I spoke of. I estimate it has about 3500 pocket watch crystals in all sizes, hunter and open-face.

It still needs to be straightened out and reorganized, so I'd be ashamed to take a picture with any of the drawers open!

Ed,
Then you better get busy, cause I GOTTA see the inside!!!

Wonderful case!

OK Sheila, when I finish with the drawer I'm currently working on, I'll take a picture of that.

The whole cabinet is divided up like an egg crate with a criss-cross array of thin wood strips. The layout provides 16 compartments front to back in each row. That way there is a slot for each 1/16 graduation in ligne size.

Ed,
OOOOOOOOOOOOO

That is exactly what I want to see.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Thank you,

Just for you Sheila!

Here is a picture of the inside of the third drawer of my cabinet, which required relatively little straightening up to be half-way presentable.

Starting on the left are 5 rows of 16-ligne size crystals (2 hunter, 3 open-face), then 2 rows of 17-ligne sizes, and 2 rows of 18's. These would fit 12 to 14-size pocket watches.

The drawer under that, the "money" drawer has more 18's, the much-sought-after 19's and some 20's. The bottom drawer has more 20's, 21's and 22's.

The top 2 drawers have smaller crystals, down to 10-ligne sizes. Some of those might be of interest to folks who collect ladies pocket watches and early wristwatches for which glass crystals would be correct.

Third Drawer, for 12 & 14-Size Pocket Watches