THE REVOLUTION IN WATCHHAKING. 



BY WILLIAM A. COUNTRYMAN. 



July, 



after- 



, since 



his connection with the census office has edited Mines and C^uarries, and conducted 

 several investigations including one into the watchmaking industry. Author: The 

 Golden Clock, Old Daj's in Hartford, poems, etc.] 



The watch came to the United States from the old world 

 perfect in principle. There have been no improvements for 

 many years in arrangement of train, in escapements, or in 

 other parts of movements. Its evolution from the clock with 

 its pendulum, through the table clock with its lever, and thus 

 to the perfect pocket timepiece, is a part of the history of 

 Germany, of Great Britain, of France, and of Switzerland. 



The English are said to have been the first successful 

 watchmakers, and about a century and a half ago applied 

 to the industry a division of labor which at one time had 

 multiplied into 102 distinct branches. The Swiss adopted this 

 principle and extended it, giving employment to families — 

 men, women, and children — at their homes. As the price 

 of this labor was very low, and there were few other industries 

 at which employment could be found, the Swiss became the 

 watchmakers of the world, not only furnishing some of the 

 most costly timepieces, but also some of the cheapest and 

 most worthless. While the Swiss still manufacture a great 

 many watches, which are sent to many parts of the world, it 

 is a significant fact that some jobbers, who handled their 

 goods a few years ago under an American name, advertised 

 that the movements were made by the most improved Ameri- 

 can automatic machinery, insuring accuracy and precision. 

 It is said to be a common practice thus to advertise Swiss 

 movements, excepting those of the costliest varieties, upon 

 which the hand work is of the most skillful and painstaking 

 character or expended in fanciful combinations. It is as- 

 serted by manufacturers in the United States that the Ameri- 



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