Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-02
WILL NOT WORK IN FACTORIES.
The Finest Swiss Watches Are All
Made in Little Cottages.

Made in Little Cottages.
From Casters Magazine
1t Is most interesting to compare the off
ferent methods by means Of which the
highest grade Of mechanical perfection IS
attained in various countries. Notwith-
| standing the high character OF American
watches, for example. the finest Swiss
watches still maintain their great reputa-
tien. The Swiss workman receives the
| parts from the manufacturer in the rough,
| takes them to his home. puts his best indi-
vfdual skill into the finishing and assem-
bling. and brings the completed watches to
his employer. The latter inspects the
work, and out of a batch of. say fifty.
watches. he selects five or six as worthy of
his own attention and puts the others into
his regular trade under some general trade
name. The selected watches he readjusts,
working over them for days, weeks and
months before he considers them worthy
to bear his own name, and IT is these
watches which go to those who not only
have the money to buy. but also the pa
thence to wait
! prominent firm of American jewelers.,
chafing under the inconvenience Of this
Old world method of doing things. sought
| 10 introduce American methods and see II
| the highest grade Of Swiss watches could
not be made more methodically. fac
| tory was built enticing rates of wages
were offered to the most skillful workmen.
ard the experiment was tried. But, alas!
The Swiss workman soon found that no
| regular wages could pay him for his loss
| or liberty. To be Oh hand when the
| whistle blew in the morning. TO have his
stated hour for dinner and his fixed hour
| for quitting at night-these restrictions he
could not long stand. Formerly he had
worked when he felt like IL and stopped
when II pleased him, and when he was
paid for one job he took his time to begir
| The next generally waiting until lis funds
ran low. The factory plan did not work
Tor long, and the idle building now bears
| silent testimony TO the Swiss love for in
| dependence, which is much a factor I'm
| present life as it has been in past history
The fact that much OF the work of the
Swiss watckmakers and instrument makers
| Is done in this primitive manner does not
| In the least dctract from its high quality,
| but rather adds to its perfection by EN-
| bodyfng iE each article the individual skill
| of the workman. The writer desired to
| procure one of the famous Goldschmidt
| aneroid taroneters, and only after some
difficulty and many inquiries did he sue
! coed in finding the whereabouts of the
! maker at all. AT last he was directed
TO the quaint street in the quarter Of the
city OF Zurich known as the ''Trittlgasse'
| lthe street Of the little steps,. There he
| found gate in a wall bearing the desired
| number. but no name or sign of any de-
| Scripton TO indicate what was within.
| Knocking to obtain admission he was final
| ly let into garden, over another wall and
! up picturesque set of steps and ushered
| into little room in which was work Of
| the finest description. a few men and
! boys. a couple of women-this was the
\ working force, but here were products
which surpassed the finest instruments of
| any ne had ever seen. Each article Was
| shown and handled as if II had been a per.
| scnal pet. hardly 10 be parted with: and il
was. indeed, interesting 10 see how every
| instrument was calibered and tested and
| recorded in manner which could not but
| prove that for such work indiyiduaiism
| lad It's advantages over co'lectivisnl. The
| articles were indeed .'manufa ctured" in
| the true chronological sense OF the term
| handmade" and heed-made too, for that
| matter: and all this in q little outbuiliing
| accessible only after diligent search and
| many nisadventures.