Friction, Lubrication and the Lubricants in Horology

A 19th-century technical manual written for professional horologists, the watchmakers and clockmakers who kept time in an era before quartz and digital mechanisms. Lewis tackles a deceptively complex problem: how do you lubricate a mechanism that must move with microscopic precision for decades without the oil drying, gumming, or failing? He explores the properties of specific lubricants, including oils sourced from marine mammals, describing how 19th-century horologists refined and prepared these substances for use in delicate timepieces. The book examines the physics of friction and lubrication, explaining why proper oiling matters and documenting the common failures that result from inadequate maintenance. For anyone fascinated by mechanical watchmaking, antique timepieces, or the history of technology, this book offers a window into the specialized knowledge that kept the world's clocks running in an age when mechanical precision was paramount.