Watchmaker's vice

This small vice donated to the Conservatory in 1886 stands out due to its outstanding craftsmanship. It was used in a master watchmaker's workshop to delicately hold the parts in place with two fastening screws (horizontal and vertical), allowing the craftsman to perform painstakingly accurate work. An inscription, now partly effaced, suggests it was made by Leadbeater & Scott in Sheffield, England, a city famous for its steel industry. The sides are engraved with elegant scrolls typical of a "French" style found in many quality mid-18th-century tools. The donor who gave the museum this vice indicated that it may have belonged to the famous Jura watchmaker Antide Janvier. The quality of the craftsmanship and materials seem to bear out that claim.