Choosing a Jacot tool

[JseTay]

Hello everyone! I recently bought two Jacot tools both in great condition, I want to get rid of one of them because I don’t think I will need both of them, but I can’t make up my mind on which one would be best. I need some advice or opinions on these two beauties that can help me make the right decision. Thanks everyone!

[RichardHarris123]

I don't know if one is superior to the other, somebody will know.  Just for the aesthetics, I  like the green inlay.

[mbwatch]

Who are the tools' makers? If either is a Steiner, keep that one because it is possible to get replacement parts from Horia.

Either of them looks like a fine tool though, and both have the hard-to-get big center wheel runners. Nice.

[Neverenoughwatches]

keep the bottom one, it looks like it has the internal drive feature and an extra spindle

more modern so might have had less use ,but rob the burnisher from the top one.

no ! in fact keep both, watchmakers need at least two of everything..at least...so start looking for two more...at least.

[nickelsilver]

The one in the unlined box is Steiner, and would be my first choice for sure. Replacement parts are available, and they are adjustable for alignment, unlike any other Jacot tools.

[RichardHarris123]

Haha.  Shows what I know. 

[nickelsilver]

Do have a look at the Steiner to be sure all the runners are there. There are spots for 3 double ended ones, but sometimes there's a 4th which is in the tool. The numbers should go start (smallest size) at 4 or 7, and go up in consistent steps from runner to runner. It would be a shame if there was a runner missing, and if there is, perhaps the other tool is the better choice.

[JseTay]

Thank you all for the replies! I am having a hard time deciding which one to keep. I love both of them, but I don’t know how much I would use them if I kept both. They both seem complete to me. Well, the Steiner has a broken lantern, but what I like about that one is that already comes with a built in string to turn the pulley on the headstock. And it has two spindles for different size pivots. On the other one, all the lanterns are good, and it also seems to be complete. 
By the way, where or who sells parts for the Steiner Jacot tool? Maybe I can buy the lantern that is broken and keep the Steiner.

[praezis]

If one or few holes in the disc are broken, is of less importance. In almost all cases you can use just one hole. They don‘t have to fit the pivot, just the edge behind the pivot must run inside the funnel.

Frank

[mbwatch]

34 minutes ago, JseTay said:

By the way, where or who sells parts for the Steiner Jacot tool? Maybe I can buy the lantern that is broken and keep the Steiner.

https://www.horia.ch/en/Products/Pivotinglathe/Accessories/Lantern-N-1-N-4.html

There was an older thread revived last month about this

 

Edited February 26 by mbwatch

[JseTay]

47 minutes ago, praezis said:

If one or few holes in the disc are broken, is of less importance. In almost all cases you can use just one hole. They don‘t have to fit the pivot, just the edge behind the pivot must run inside the funnel.

Frank

Thank you Frank. I didn’t know that. I thought the hole had to match the size of the pivot. But that’s great news since the broken lantern still has several useful holes.

44 minutes ago, mbwatch said:

https://www.horia.ch/en/Products/Pivotinglathe/Accessories/Lantern-N-1-N-4.html

There was an older thread revived last month about this

 

Thank you for the link mbwatch! I will see if I can find the lantern that I need!

[JseTay]

On 2/23/2025 at 8:22 AM, nickelsilver said:

Do have a look at the Steiner to be sure all the runners are there. There are spots for 3 double ended ones, but sometimes there's a 4th which is in the tool. The numbers should go start (smallest size) at 4 or 7, and go up in consistent steps from runner to runner. It would be a shame if there was a runner missing, and if there is, perhaps the other tool is the better choice.

I checked the runners, but they all have a number 5. However, in the ends, they all have different numbers going from 4 all the way to 120. 

[nickelsilver]

6 hours ago, JseTay said:

I checked the runners, but they all have a number 5. However, in the ends, they all have different numbers going from 4 all the way to 120. 

 

Good that they all have the same number, that's a matched set.

 

Now check that the numbers on the ends are continuous. That's to say there's no gap in the sizes. I have two "big" Steiner sets, one with 4 runners and one with 3. Both cover the same size range, but one goes in 0.005 increments on the small sizes. That one goes:

4-10 1/2  in 0.005mm steps

10- 151/2 in 0.005mm steps

16- 36

then the double ended (center wheel) runner has:

38-65  /  68-100

 

The three runner set goes:

4- 15

16- 36

38- 65  /  68- 100

 

I'm wondering if your box was for either set, and has an empty space because it was delivered with a 3 runner set, or if you have a 4 runner set missing a runner.

 

Edit for clarity- I'm talking about the long runners. The short runner is for tapered extended (4th wheel) pivots.

Edited February 27 by nickelsilver

[VWatchie]

Keep the Steiner, and if you're new to Jacot tool work you might find this video helpful.

[nickelsilver]

Steiner did make "old style" Jacot tools before moving to their unique design. The trademark is still a rooster, but flanked by the initials C and S. They are fine tools and unlike most competitors already featured replaceable beds and lanterns. I do strongly prefer the more modern ones, as they provide means to fine tune the alignment of the pulley side (headstock) to the runner side.

 

An old Steiner

 

The old Logo

 

The adjustment mechanism on the modern Steiner

 

 

Edited February 27 by nickelsilver

[JseTay]

3 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

Good that they all have the same number, that's a matched set.

 

Now check that the numbers on the ends are continuous. That's to say there's no gap in the sizes. I have two "big" Steiner sets, one with 4 runners and one with 3. Both cover the same size range, but one goes in 0.005 increments on the small sizes. That one goes:

4-10 1/2  in 0.005mm steps

10- 151/2 in 0.005mm steps

16- 36

then the double ended (center wheel) runner has:

38-65  /  68-100

 

The three runner set goes:

4- 15

16- 36

38- 65  /  68- 100

 

I'm wondering if your box was for either set, and has an empty space because it was delivered with a 3 runner set, or if you have a 4 runner set missing a runner.

 

Edit for clarity- I'm talking about the long runners. The short runner is for tapered extended (4th wheel) pivots.

Excellent information, my friend! I am very new when it comes to Jacot tools and I would have never known this u less you had told me. I will double check the runners numbering to see if there anything missing. 

2 hours ago, VWatchie said:

Keep the Steiner, and if you're new to Jacot tool work you might find this video helpful.

Thank you for sharing the video Watchie. I will for sure keep the Steiner. I just have to make sure everything is correct. Which I think it is for what Nickel silver was teaching me on his reply. I think there must just be a runner that he mentioned that I may not have which is the one that goes from 4 to 10 1/2. But the other ones seem to match the one I have.

[JseTay]

19 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

Good that they all have the same number, that's a matched set.

 

Now check that the numbers on the ends are continuous. That's to say there's no gap in the sizes. I have two "big" Steiner sets, one with 4 runners and one with 3. Both cover the same size range, but one goes in 0.005 increments on the small sizes. That one goes:

4-10 1/2  in 0.005mm steps

10- 151/2 in 0.005mm steps

16- 36

then the double ended (center wheel) runner has:

38-65  /  68-100

 

The three runner set goes:

4- 15

16- 36

38- 65  /  68- 100

 

I'm wondering if your box was for either set, and has an empty space because it was delivered with a 3 runner set, or if you have a 4 runner set missing a runner.

 

Edit for clarity- I'm talking about the long runners. The short runner is for tapered extended (4th wheel) pivots.

Hey, Nickelsilver! I checked both Jacot tools. 
the Steiner goes from:

4-15

16-36

35-75 in increments of 5

75-120 in increments of 5

then the other which the brand says Bechtold goes from:

5-14

16-34

40-65

70-100

Does all that sound ok to you? Or you think there is something off?

[nickelsilver]

35 minutes ago, JseTay said:

Does all that sound ok to you? Or you think there is something off?

Sounds good- would definitely keep the Steiner then. You have a very nice tool there.

[VWatchie]

2 hours ago, JseTay said:

75-120 in increments of 5

That one is a cause for envy! The largest beds in my Steiner set are in a runner ranging from 38 to 76, and more often than one might think, it is too small for some centre wheels. Getting a larger runner from Horia is very expensive.

20 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

The adjustment mechanism on the modern Steiner

For even more info about this, check out this post, also by @nickelsilver!'

 

Edited February 28 by VWatchie

[JseTay]

That is great to know! I am glad the tool is complete! Thank you all for helping because I had no clue what I had bought. I knew the tool looked nice, but I did know if everything was like it is supposed to, but now I have peace of mind keeping that one.