The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-01-11
POINTS ABOUT WATCHES.
THE FIRST "TIcKERs" EVER MADE
IN AMERICA.
Row Pocket Timcoiccrs are Made
Sl'tc aud ia Europc-Thc Rise of
Great I'm iustry.

"a Great I'm iustry.
In these DAYS, when the majority of the
adult population carry watches, says the
New York star, it is difficult to realize
that hllf a century ago watches were
rarity in this country. Fifty years ago
not more than one man in twenty carried
a watch, and women were seldom known
to indulge in the luxury of pocket
timepiece. In 1880 the few watches
used in the United States were imported
from Europe. None were of home manu-
facture. A Geneva watch was consid-
cred the ne plus ultra of luxury in our
grandfathers' days, and the possessor was
regarded with a degree of respect
amounting almost to veneration. Watches
fifty years ago were clumsy affairs. Their
shape was very much like that of tur-
nip. The cases were heavy and ungain-
ly, and the works were clumsy. 1t could
not be expected that such watches would
keep very correct time; but they were
deemed marvels of mechanism.
The first watch ever made in America
is the property of Mr. f. Howard, of
| William street, this city. 1t is about as
heavy as the English watches of fifty
years ago, although there is nothing
clumsy about it. Its weight and size
arc due to the fact that having been
I made to run eight days, it has two main
springs. The idea of the makers was
that it would be a desirable novelty to
have watch which would run a week,
and which would in this respect be diff
ferent from watches of every other make.
1t was soon found, however, that the
public did not respond favorably to the
eight-day idea. The watches Of this
kind were soon abandoned for those
which have but main spring and barrel,
and are wound every day.
This ''frst watch" was made in 1850,
and has been running ever since. The
pinions and "leaves" of this watch are
highly polished, and the pinions are
round and hard and run perfectly true.
1t has a ratchet tooth escape. Its jewels
are ruby, sapphire and chrysolite, and
are polished and chamfered, the holes
being opened from both sides. The
center and barrels are pushed with Ger
man silver. From its present condition
there seems no reason why it should not
be just as good watch thirty years hence
as now. 1t is a valued trophy of Ameri-
can skill.
I Mr.. Howard furnished the Star re-
porter the following historical facts in
regard to the origin of watches in Europe.
He said
''After long experimenting and many
disappointments Peter Hele, an ingenious
mechanic of Nuremburg, produced in 1890
his first and famous pocket clock 1t
was in oval shape, and hence gave rise
to the name of Nuremberg Egg by
which watches were for some time called,
This watch was six inches wide and nine
inches long. There is no record of how
much it weighed. Jacob Zecl, of Prague,
made a famous watch in 1926. 1t still
exists, the case being covered with a
wealth of curious emblcmatical decora-
| tions and engraving. 1t is in a circular
case of gilt brass, nine and one-quarter
inches in diameter and five inches high.
In the days of Henry VIII, of England,
watches of curious construction were
made for monarchs and for a few of the
wealthy, but were toe costly to come
into general use. In the time of
| Queen Elizabeth many of the people
about her court wore watches, not one
in a dozen of which was able to keep
time correctly. Most of these watches
made up in external establishment what
they lacked in accuracy as timekcepers. :"
Switzerland became in time the center
of the matchmaking industry. One
| Charles Cusin went, 1897. from Autun, in
Burgundy, to escape religious pcrsccu-
ton. He established himself at Geneva,
and is believed to have been the first
Swiss matchmaker. His watches were
clumsy and heavy, but sold for their
weight in gold. They had the cumbrous
fusee chain, and no two of them would
keep time together. The next step in
Matchmaking was the invention of the
cooled hairspring for the balance wheel.
The honor of this invention is divided
between Huyghens, the great Dutch as
| tronomer, and DR.. IIooke, who, about
| 1868, presented to Charles H., of Eng
land, watch containing this improve
ment. About this time Nicolas Faccio, of
Geneva, learned how to pierce rubies and
other gems with minute holes, so as to
use them for bearings. Before this time
| pivots had run in metal bearings, and suf-
fered from the wear The introduction
Of the jewels made the watch a radical
| improvement on what it had been, both
in accuracy and durability.
Next came the compensation balance,
introduced somewhat over a century ago,
Harrison and Berthoud both claiming
the honor of its invention. It's circum-
ference was in two sections, the ends of
which were fastened to a cross bar of
steel. The outer rim was of brass and
| the inner of steel. The contraction and
| expansion of the two metals comDen-
stated exactly, and secured accuracy.
Prior to this time even the best OF
watches had been very inaccurate things.
Some of them would vary as much as
half an hour "A day.
Between the Swiss and the English
the competition in matchmaking has
been lively. Systematic division of
labor and the very low price of living
have done much for the industry Of
watch-making in Switzerland. Years
ago the Swiss ovcrran the English market
with their watches, which were lighter
and far less clumsy than the English, and
quite as accurate.