Seldom found, this pre-World War 2 Pultra 8 mm lathe was built on the highly successful American WW pattern (Webster and Whitcombe) pattern. Mr Webster had risen to be Superintendent (the Works Manager) of the 'American Watch Company' while Mr Whitcomb was a principal in 'Ballou, Whitcombe & Co.', a precision machine and tool-making company. For eighteen years, assisted by other skilled designers and engineers, the two men developed a range of increasingly sophisticated and better-made miniature lathes culminating, in 1888/9, with the introduction of a design that was to set the world standard for watchmaker's lathes, the Webster-Whitcomb - or "WW" as it was to become better known. This lathe was a seminal development and (with the exception of the lighter "Geneva" type) completely displaced all earlier kinds including the well-known "Swiss Universal" (or English mandrel as also known) and the Bottum..
Although the had headstock, tailstock and bed section on the Pultra WW were very similar to that used on the short-bed CZ45 and CX45 Models, the headstock (even though it had the same machined slots to take a lever-action collet closer) was secured to the bed in a different manner; in place of two cams set transversely, just one was arranged along longitudinally along the length of the underside. Also different was the compound slide assembly which, instead of the usual full-length top slide with an upper casting that completely shielded the ways, used a more traditional short type that left them exposed. In place of the relatively large and beautifully engraved micrometer dials of the P-Series machines the ones on this lathe were tiny, with crude divisions though, like the handwheels, were made from bronze. In all these altered respects the lathe more resembled the traditional WW (Webster Whitcombe) type rather than the usual Pultra (many WW accessories are interchangeable amongst manufactures and, unless items are stamped with the maker's name, originality is always uncertain).
Several versions of this Pultra have been found, some short-bed, some long-bed, some with a glamorous nickel-plated finish for peacetime sale and others with a prosaic "war finish". Collets have been found held in place by either an ordinary draw-tube or by a quick-action, lever-controlled mechanism for production use.