The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-02-07
HANDS AND FACES.
HOW THEY ARE MADE IN A LARGE
SWISS WATCH FACTORY.

Delicate Operations With Oven aud Tools
Required In Making Dials-> Expert
Workers on Hands - The Wages Paid
Both Men and Women Are Excellent.
A Geneva correspondent in writing
of a visit to one of the famous watch
manufactures of that city thus de-
scribes some Of the operations:
Now, about the dialmaking process
itself: First, the plain round OF purest
copper must be heated to red heat IN
a furnace to burn off any adhering I'M
purity. Leaving the fire, it is plunged
into an acid bath, and in that way it
becomes so smooth that it may easily
be rubbed into form with small steel
spatula.
The enamel, which comes from France
and Switzerland and looks like great
Jumps of white porcelain, is first re-
duced to the finest of powders in pow
erful crusher, Then it, too, is washed in
acid, and finally it is washed again in
many renewings of pure water. After
this it is made into a sort of paste,
which is applied in thin strata to both
sides of the copper and then carefully
put by to wait the complete evapora-
ton of the water with which it was
mixed. AS soon as this has been accom-
pIished the dial is placed in an intense
ly hot gas oven, where the enamel be-
comes perfectly fused and adheres firm
" to the plate. This operation is re-
peated, with a second and third appli-
cation of the enamel, and then the dial
is ready to receive the painting of the
hours. AS soon as this has been done
it is again put in the oven, a most crit
ical operation, because the fraction OF
a second overmuch would spoil every
thing, and then, while yet warm, it Is
rubbed or redressed with bit Of char
coal and a small metal tool especially
made for the purpose. 1t is this opera
ton that gives the dial the beautiful
s2noothness, like that of dainty bit OF
china. Before that most delicate Oper-
alton, the piercing for the hands, which
Is done on an instrument furnished
with diamonds fixed on steel, and some
times even the steel itself, the dial goes
to the automatic fIer and is rendered
absolutely perfect in shape.
The paintilgo Of the hours is nearly all
done by women and girls. Several
women are also employed in the enamel
ing department. The wages paid both
men and women are excellent. Some
Of the employees are time workers, the
others work BY the piece, many Of the
latter easily earning 800 francs a month.
Naturally these are the most expert
enced workers, who have finished APP
| prenticeships of at 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 "A month. The women who earn
the highest wages, 900 francs, work also
by the piece, polishing or rubbing off the
second dial.
The firm was organized in 1885, and
all the chief employees Of today have
been connected with it from the begin
ming. There are IA divisions Of work
men and workwonen, each with dis
tinct branch Of his or her own. Indeed
a dial, before complete, passes through
at least 20 pairs of hands. Besides the
white or simple dials with the usual
black figures, there are the colored diais
pink. blue. gray. delicate shade of