Profession
The job of the miller is to produce one-off or mass-produced mechanical parts on a traditional or digitally-controlled milling machine, following a plan precisely and meticulously. They must correctly interpret the plans drawn up and produce the mechanical parts required, using the tools appropriate to their construction and preparing and adjusting the machine parameters. Once the parts have been manufactured, he or she must check and control their quality, ensuring that they meet the order perfectly.
Subject
Candidates will start with a kind of ‘blank page’, in this case a block of metal measuring 150 x 100 x 30. In three hours, they will have to design the programme and carry out all the machining to produce an elegant clock in the shape of the Eiffel Tower.
If they manage to meet the deadline, they will be able to install the hands supplied and bring their creation to life.
History
Eyewear in France emerged in the 13th century with the use of the first spectacles imported from Italy. It developed in the Jura in the 19th century, particularly in Morez, which became the historic centre of production. Watchmaking in France developed during the Renaissance, influenced by the Swiss and German masters. Paris and Besançon became major centres in the 17th and 19th centuries.
1285: The first spectacles appear in Europe
1675: Invention of the balance spring, the foundation of the modern mechanical watch
1796: The beginnings of small-scale eyewear manufacture in the French Jura region
1969: Launch of the first quartz watch
2000s: The renaissance of the mechanical watch in the face of digital technology
