.........as a result of a blokes talk when we met for a birthday lunch last month. He mentioned he was idle and I suggested he could become unidle and do something for me at the same time. He is an excellent wood turner and has made a number of things for us so I thought he'd be just the man for my task. The basic sketches on a table napkin were less than ideal so I did some drawings in Sketchup and sent them off. There was no hurry and I didn't expect anything for some time as he and his wife are going through some stressful issues at the moment, and the primary reason for my plan was to provide him with something to take his mind off things and just zone out on his lathe when he needed to de-stress. Imagine my surprise when these arrived in the mail today. Any ideas what they are? Egg Cups? No, keep guessing. Candlestick holders? Sorry, NO! Espresso cup stands? No no no! This is going to take all day (or night where you live). So here you go. Yes, that boy in the front row! Quite correct. A set of movement holders for Hamilton 992B watch movements! They are quite sensuous to touch, the wood is very dense and smooth and has a warmth that metal and plastic cannot aspire to. One can be used for the dial side (the ebony version) and the other on can be used for both sides of the movement. Much more secure than the crappy Bergeon clamp style and 100 times more pleasing to the eye. So after spilling the milk container from the coffee machine all over the kitchen floor this morning, this was a great pickup to brighten my day. Cheers Jim
I think it's ebony, he mentioned he had a few bits and that it was very hard to work. I'm almost to scared to use them, but that's what they're for.
Just got an update from the Artisan who crafted these lovely items. The blonde one is made from the root wood of an oak tree that was felled in Kyneton (Victoria Australia) many years ago. The darker one is Macassar EBony. They are both beautiful and almost too good to use. I may just sit in my watch room and fondle them.
South Wing actually Darren. The East Wing is the laundry and the West Wing is the entrance and Library.
You revealed too soon - movement holders was an easy guess for me, but then again I have one or two myself...
I love it when someone completely geeks out on something so specialized, and so obscure (I would never have guessed in a million years what they were). Congratulations on these beautiful arrivals!
You will have to let us know how they hold up - I expect the ebony will hold up well. They certainly look nicer than some of mine, and I'm sure cost a lot less than some of these did... You can never have too many movement holders, but they can be pricey. Some of the more complex holders here run in the $400+ range each, so they add up quickly. Some of the newer holders from Omega are even more expensive. BTW I know people seem to hate the old Bergeon 4040, but I've never had any issues using it...I use mine pretty much every day.
