The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-12-29
The Swiss Watch Trade.

According to the annual report of the
Swiss Handles und Industrie verein, the
Swiss watch trade during the last thirty
years has undergone some notable
changes. The more general use of machin-
cry, the establishment of factories. and
the introduction of improved methods of
manufacture have cheapened production
and led to a great extension of business.
In these factories watches, with some
trifling exceptions, are made from be-
ginning to end as they are made in the
large American watch factories. 1t is
times asserted, that Americans were the
first to make watches by machinery. A
firm at Geneva, Vacheron & Constantin,
had factory and turned out watches by
machinery before a single watch was
made in the United States, and the
Americans procured their first watch
making machinery from Switzerland.
But Geneva has lost its ancient suprem-
acy in matchmaking. Fine watches
(n,ontres soignees) are put together and
regulated here, but the greatest market
in the country, probably in Europe, is
Chaux-de- Ponds, in canton Neuchatel.
The factory system is being largely
adopted in the newer matchmaking dis
tricts, such as the Bernese, Jura, and
the town of Bienne. The latter place Is
fast becoming sort of neurological Schef-
field. Many Geneva houses have found
it expedient to establish coDlpsoirs there.
and trade of which Geneva had once
the monopoly-the making of watch
cases has gone altogether to Bienne.
The movements of complicated watches
-chronographs. repeaters and perpetual
calendars still made exclusively in
the valley of Lake Joux. and no place,
in and out of Switzerland, shows any dis
position to dispute the supremacy of the
of the Vaudois Jura in this,
the highest branch of horrologic art. The
report from which quote observes that
one of the results of the extension of
matchmaking has been to
deprive Switzerland of the practical
in the production of time
keepers which she once enjoyed. She
has now several foreign competitors.
American competitors, .'albeit their pre-
tentions are as lacking in modesty as
their goods in quality" are regarded as
the most formidable-in America. This
has, however. its favorable
side, for during the last two years
watchmakers have procured
many of their movements" and their
most taStefully executed cases in Switzer-
land. English and German competition,
German is mentioned with
like contempt. Swiss watch
Is, owing to improved methods of manu-
iacture, are now higher in quality and
over than ever. and. say the authors of
world. Many foreign watchmakers re-
'ort to Switzerland for their supplies,
md hundreds of watches sold abroad as
are made in this country.
The calamitous crisis which followed the
of 1874 and previous
ears is now at an end, and, thanks
hiefiy to the American demand, the
'wiss watch trade is fairly active. En-
land and France notwithstanding the
ivalry of BesancOn) are good customers;
he demand from Germany, Austria,
nd Russia (Which take mostly watches
( inferior quality is not so good as could
e wished. but the trade with Spain,
'ortugal. Italy and the East shows de-
ided signs of improvement. Prices
ave not, however. increased in proper
on to the increased demand, and there
reason to fear that production is again
consumption. Wages, too.
re showing tendency to rise; in sew
raj departments an advance has been
lready conceded, and altogether the
osition and prospects of manufacturers
re much less satisfactory than might be
esired. -GeneUa Cor. London Times.