While Edward Rivett might not have been the first maker of lathes especially for use by watch and clockmakers, his products were certainly amongst the very finest ever produced. Beginning in 1884, when E.Rivett and C.A.W.Crosby founded the Faneuil Watch Tool Company (see more on Faneuli here), his first two machine tools appear to have both been lathes, one a precision bench type and the other one for watchmakers. As far as can be certain, the first of the latter type was the 1a2, made from circa 1887 to the early 1890s. This was followed by the Type 1b, made until around 1895 and, simultaneously, the Types 1C and 2C, this latter being stamped "STEEL" on the left-hand end of the bed - a fabulous example of this type has recently been discovered in England, complete and original and mounted on a beautiful roll-top workbench by the J.H.Rosberg Mfg. Co. of Chicago. Introduced  close to 1895, the Type 2a lasted until 1901; this was followed by the Type 2b, with a short production run from 1902 to 1905 and finally - until decades later and the Type 1R of 1946 - the almost identical Type 2c that can be recognised by an engraving on the end of its bed stating "Rivett Lathe Mfg. Co."

The distinctive Post WW-2 Rivett Model R1 watchmakers' lathe as manufactured by the then Rivett Lathe & Grinder Corporation. Approximately 500 to 600 examples were made from 1946 to around 1950 - all fitted with a headstock spindle running in ball races. The use of anti-friction bearings in watchmakers' lathes was not unusual, examples being made by, amongst others,  Levin, Coronet, Derbyshire, and Marshall. The large pedestal beneath the headstock is usually found in cast aluminium - but ones in cast iron were also produced. Extra pictures of the R1 here

Rivett watchmakers' lathe No. 2. This model had the headstock, toolrest and tailstock aliened by a central slot in the bed - the No. 1 lathes using (in the usual manner) outside bevelled edges. The No. 1 was produced from the early 1890s until late in the same decade with approximately 1000 being produced. No. 2 production followed on and this appears to have been, by the numbers surviving, the more common type - although it was, in comparison with its competitors, a relatively expensive proposition. Watch lathes of this conventional type were produced by all the various incarnations of the Rivett Company: the Faneuil Watch Tool Co., Rivett Lathe Mfg. Co. and Rivett Lathe & Grinder Co.

A superb example of the Rivett  Type 1C watchmakers' lathe as made by the Faneuil Watch Tool Co. This was identical to the earlier Type 1B (circa 1890 to 1895) but with the word "STEEL" engraved on the end of the bed (shown below) .

Rivett "Universal Head" - a special, high-accuracy assembly fitted with a permanently-mounted "pump-centre" faceplate made from an especially hard nickel- a tough, rust-proof material with a beautiful appearance. For this unit, the jaws fitted as standard were of the more expensive "Rivett Patent" type - the ordinary collet-mounted faceplate able to be had with standard jaws or, for an extra $5 dollars on the 1902 price of $9, with the "Patent "jaws. The headstock spindle fitted was identical to that used in the ordinary headstock being made from tool steel hardened and ground and running in hardened steel bushes - the arrangement claimed by the makers to be unique to them for this type of fitting.