Buying guide
Buying a used watchmaking or microtechnology machine
Published on October 13, 2026
High-precision machining centres, transfer machines, gear hobbing, small-diameter bar turning: in watchmaking, every micron counts. How to assess the accuracy, thermal stability and versatility of a used machine.
Watchmaking and microtechnology require tolerances of a few microns on very small parts. A used machine can be perfectly suitable, provided it has been rigorously maintained and is not too specialised for a component that is not yours.
Which type of machine?
- High-precision machining centres and small 5-axis centres: mainplates, bridges, cases, dials.
- Transfer or rotary-table machines: highly productive on a given part, but slow to convert.
- Small-diameter Swiss-type lathes: arbors, pinions, screws (see also our guide to automatic lathes).
- Gear hobbing, rolling, multi-spindle drilling, finishing (polishing, decoration) depending on your production.
Accuracy and thermal stability
At this scale, the machine's thermal expansion matters more than wear. Ask whether the machine compensates for temperature (spindle, structure), whether it has worked in an air-conditioned room and how it behaves after warm-up. The best test remains a series of parts measured over several hours: the spread of dimensions tells you more than a single measurement.
High-speed spindles
- Maximum speed, spindle hours and date of the last overhaul.
- Runout measured on a test mandrel, no abnormal noise or heating.
- Spindle and electronics cooling system in good order.
- Availability and cost of a spindle exchange unit from the manufacturer.
Equipment and versatility
A watchmaking machine is often worth as much as its equipment: collets and clamping, fixtures, measuring probe, vision system, loader or bar feeder. Check what is sold with the machine. For a transfer machine, ask which stations are supplied and what it would cost to adapt it to your parts: a machine designed for a single component can prove expensive to convert.
Documentation and confidentiality
Ask for the maintenance log, the geometry inspection reports and the list of control options. For their part, the seller will erase their customers' programs and data before delivery: this is standard practice in the industry, and it is best to put it in writing.