Turning Engine" Z

"Turning Engine" Z. A., Swiss. Made circa 1900. Fine and very rare, cast iron, steel and brass engine turning machine. Notes “Guillochage” or engine turning This is the technique of mechanical engraving used in watchmaking for cases and dials, it offers a great variety of decorative finishes. The effect is achieved by the offering up of the piece to a cutting tool set in a fixed position. The face-plate holding the work moves against the cutting surface of the tool and is geared to a pre-selected shaped cam which moves the faceplate in a regular motion to create the desired pattern. Until the early 19th century watches were often presented in elaborately decorated and bulbous cases. It was Abraham Louis Breguet who decided that he would eliminate superfluous decoration from his cases and with the introduction of guillochage a whole range of possibilities were opened up. Engine turned surfaces lent a surface a silky sheen and avoided the problem of unsightly finger marks. The technique caught on very quickly and became one of the most frequently used decorative devices in the watchmaking industry. The use of engine turning continues until the present day and many modern watch manufacturers use a variety of guillochage patterns in the manufacture of their watch dials in particular.