The ‘crank’ lathe, presented here by Robert Marichy in his workshop in Arinthod in the Jura department, was designed around the use of the wheel. Wheel-driven lathes had the advantage of allowing a continuous rotation, unlike the alternative movement of ‘bow’ or ‘pole’ lathes. They developed in the 19th century, while the invention of the wheel by the Sumerians dates back to 3500 BC.