Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-21
HANDS AND FACES.
NOW THEY ARE MADE m A LARGE
SWISS WATCH FACTORY.

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A Geneva correspondent in writing
| of Q visit to ono Of tho famous watch
| manufactoeios Of that city thus de-
h, scribes some OF tho operations:
! Nov, about tho dialmaling process
itself: First, the plain round Of purest
copper must be heated to q red heat in
. furnace to burn of any adhcring i'm
purity. Leaving the fire, it Is plunged
into an acid bath, and in that way it
becomes 30 smooth that it may easily
bc rubbed into form with n small steel
spatula.
Tho enamel, which comes from France
! and Switzerland and looks like great
Jumps Of white porcelain, is first re-
duccd to the finest Of powders in q pow
crful crusher. Then it. too, Is washed in
acid, and finally it is washed again in
' many rcnewings Of pure water. After
this it IS lnado into a sort Of paste.
, which is applied in thin strata to both
sides Of tho copper and then carefully
put Ivy to wait tho complete cvapora-
| ton Of tho water with which it was
mixed. As soon as this has been accom-
plishcd tho dial is placed in an intense
~ hot gas oven, where the enamel be-
comes perfectly fused and adheres FIRM
ly to the plate. This operation is re-
pfsSN Vx.rtl n s~.1
cation of the enamel, and then the dial
Is ready to receive the painting of tho
hours. As soon rs this has been done
1t is again put in the oven, n most chit
ical operation, because the fraction If
second overmuch would spoil every
thing. and then, while vet warm, it is
rubbed or redresscd with bit Of char
coal and small metal tool especially
made for the purpose. 1t is this opera
ton that gives the dial tho beautiful
smoothness, like that Of a dainty hit Of
china. Before that most delicate oper-
alton, tho piercing for the hands, which
Is done On an instrument furnished
with diamonds fixed ON steel, and some
times even tho steel itself. the dial goes
to the automatic filcr and is rendered
absolutely perfect in shape.
The painting Of the hours is nearly all
done Ivy women and girls. Several
women are alsoemployed in the enamel
ing department. The wages paid both
men and women are excellent. Some
of the employees arc timo workers, tho
Others work by the piece. many of the
latter easily earning 800 francs month.
Naturally these arc tho most expert
enced workers, who have finished ap-
prcnticeshiis Of Mt least three years.
In beginning the employees are given
simple separate parts to do. but even
then they may earn from 100 to $50
francs month. The women who earn
the highest wages. 200 francs. work also
by the piece, polishing Or rubbing OF the
second dial. g. r-
The firm was organized in 1885, and
all the chief employees OF today have
been connected with it from tho begin
ming. There AFRO II divisions Of work
men and woTkwoIucn. each with dis
tinct branch Of his or her own. Indeed
dial. before complete. passes through
ut least 20 pairs Of hands. Besides the
white or simple dials with tho usual
black figures, there are the colored dials
pink, blue. gray. u delicate shade Of
green and black. There arc also the
white or colorcd dials. with figures in
contrasting colors or in metals, as in
the very latest fashion in decoration
there Is TN artistic combination with
golden dots. This firm sends dials to
America Ivy the hundreds IF thousands
annually, and its rate of supply to the
largest Swiss houses Is proportional.
The making Of watch hands is one
OF the most fascinating adjuncts in the
whole process of watch manufacturing.
The chief Swiss Matchmaking firm has
been In existence through three genera
tions. As ali its heads have been not
ably expert artisans and devoted work
men. it is little wonder that tho hands
now produced by this house have be-
come celebrated. The process is NO del
icate that the workers must be literally
undisturbed in their work. ard the
pieces are 10 minute that a rogue. should
one enter, could easily carry of largo
number unobserved: hence the business
Is conducted behind locked doors, and
all outside communications are through
closely barred windows. II is almost in
credible. but here, too. staff Of design
ers Ii kept busy, for the hands in form
as well rs the dials in figures and crl,a-
mcntation must keep pace with FASH
ions demands. The standard favorite
designs, however, ARE the Louis XIV,
the f'owcr-dc-luce and the good old FASH
Toned spade and open hands. Tho steel
hands cost quite as much a. tho ortli-
nary gold hands. because they are 10
much harder in the working
The price Of an ordinary pair Of
hands is, l believe, about = francs, hut
have seen hands there initiated and