Precision engineering is the design and manufacture of mechanisms, instruments and components made to extremely fine tolerances, so that they work accurately and reliably. In the antiques field the term is applied to clocks, watches, chronometers, scientific and surveying instruments, models, machine tools and engineering apparatus whose quality depends on accurate workmanship.
British precision engineering developed rapidly from the eighteenth century, driven by the needs of navigation, astronomy and industry. Instrument makers such as Jesse Ramsden and Edward Troughton improved the dividing of scales, while chronometer makers made reliable timekeeping at sea possible, and engineers such as Henry Maudslay and Joseph Whitworth pioneered accurate machine tools and standardised screw threads. Their work underpinned the Industrial Revolution and the manufacture of interchangeable parts. Collectors of scientific instruments and engineering items appreciate fine finishing, crisp engraving, smooth mechanical action and the completeness of fitted cases and accessories. Makers' signatures and serial numbers help date and authenticate pieces. Precision-made objects such as microscopes, theodolites, telescopes and regulators combine technical history with a strong visual appeal, and are often displayed in libraries and studies, where their polished brass and fine detail stand out against wood and leather.
