The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
OUR UNDERSTANDABLE
TINE BEST ~ THE World DE-
FOND DISPUTE.

In no department OF manufacture and trad,
where the United States and Europe are pitteG
against each other has the struggle for suprem'
ncy resulted more conclusivoly in favor OF
American skill and enterprise than In watch
making. Forty years ago h largo PROPORTION
of the watches carried In this country were
manufactured abroad: probably less than one
tenth wore OF domestic make. To-day the case
stands reversed. and moro than nlno-tcnths of
the pocket timepiec,s used by Americans arc
made in America. white An important export
trade IN watches is maintained with almost
sysry civilized nation.
Another impressive fact ls that in the two
leading watch factories of America there Is
PRODUCED each year q much larger numocr OF
watches than is turned out By all the shops OF
Europe combined. The whole product of Switz-
erland. tho reat and centre of the matchmaking
Industry Of the Old World, does not equal That
of waltnIm. and tho remainder of Europe cali
not compare with Elgln in the gross output Of
watches. Pushed to thor fell capacity, those
two towns OF Massachusetts, and Illinois could
produce 1000, 900 watches each year. while
tho product OF the smaller factories would In
Grease tho nr mber to at loAst $500, 900. In q
speech delivered recently at q foremtnis din
ner, q leading oficial OF one of the great fac
torios said:
"It 10 no Extravaganza to indulge in the max.
ing OF l.O0O, 900 watches per year. We have
done uuch more difficult things than to make
5000 watches q day. Ono OF them was TO mako
100 watches 4 day. and another WAS to soil
them"
To-day. eyon in these dull times. this fac
tory Is making and mark citing watches at the
rate OF soc. GOO per year.
1t Is estimated that 1t coat twenty years of
labor to produce the first million watches made
in America. whereas tic second million were
made In Ave years, SO rapid and 30 radical were
the advances n.ade in machinery and mechani-
cal processes after tho first twenty years. The
rate Of progress In the last twenty years has
been still more rapid. and II is said that more
than 1000. 900 watches represent the tota!
results OF tho industry In America.
In addition TO the ep ormous volume OF trade
in domestic watches among our own people.
the United States receives each year a consul.
cradle importation Of watches made in Swift
erland. Why this should be 80 is not easy to
explain, except on the theory that In watches.
as In many other articles Of use and ornn
naent, popular education has not yet reached
tho point of discarding the ancient error OF
supposing that foreign goods arc the best. There
still remains o quito unanimous body of adj
herents 10 this error as regards American
watches, and this in spite of the great bulk of
testimony In support of the markeH superior
fly of the domestic article. A leading retail
1ewelry house of New York and Of the world
handles none but imported Swiss watches bear
ing its own name and manufactured 10 meet
the requirements Of Its trade. These watches
arc chiefly OF the ~costlier grades. though tho
CT eaper ones are by no means neglected. 1t
is in timing watches that tho Swiss especially
excel. Watches of this character are not made
IN America. and for UNIQUE combinations and
effects the buyer must also depend upon Switz-
prland.
Tho hiRhe st priced inning watches shown
et the house referred to was n minute repeater.
split second chronograph, with dials showing
the day Of tho month. day of the week. change
Of moon, and leap year. and o minute marker
for timing q long race. for which $500 Is ask ed.
This 10 o very complicated ri. ce.of mechanism.
and there arc probably not half q dozen work
men In America who could take the move
mont apart and put 1t to.ether again prop
erly, or could repair = break or restore q miss
inp member. For q hunting case timer which
strikes the hours and minutes. as does q
repeating clock. $500 Is asked. while for a
hunting case minute repeater with split second
chronoRraph the price is 5000. An opsn-face
silver watch with single chronograph is held
as low n S35. and between this and tho
highest figure named are Swiss watches in
great variety of movement and case. A gold
hunting case bearing q coat Of arms and inlaid
enamel. for $240; o hunting case. with raised
gold monogram. at $3.50. and another with
crest and monogram &C $500. are among tie
fne novelties shown. 1t 10. however. a fact
worth noting that the gold cases for all Of these
imported movements are made in New York.
In the !" ~elry and RoldsmtthinR part Of the
watch the design and workmanship arc Amer-
can. The same 10 truo Of some of the most
beautiful among the women's watches. In
nearly evorv care the dePiRn ORIGINATES In New
York. though the work may be done abroad.
No iewelry house In the world can match this
New York collection of " mems watches In
richness and extent Thers IL a kall-shaped
watch with pendant pin In dia non6 pave :, ork
cot In enamel. at $3.50: an exquisite thing of
Divine. the green garnet of Russia. also set in
enamel. $700. and some brilliant effects In
transparent enamel. made In New York. and
now much In. fashion. at s37 and upward;
while In ;he plainer gold. open-fAce and hunt
from $50 to $50.
Outside Of the special features of split SEQ.
nds. chronogrApns. repeaters. striking. &c.
there would seem 10 be no reason whatever
for preferring an imported 20 a domestic
watch. For the purposes OF plain and reliable
tinekeeping the American watch has all OF the
On all the railroads of America.
American watch is the standard FOR train de-
conductors. and engine drivers.
InlS cnOlce ID the result OF the niOBf careful
and impartial ;ests and records of variation.
and It Is nowadays an almostu nheard of thing
that the responsibility for a collision Of trains
is traced TO u defective watch.
1t In only within the last twenty years that
of American railways have enforced
the present strict requirements as 20 watches.
1ormorly. trainmon did pretty mnch rs they
pleas ID about tho kind of watches they car
ried. and some bad accidents resulted. The
Bay bridge %collision or twenty years ago on a
road entering Chicago from the West in which
several conspicuous persons were killed. was
the direct result of the faulty watch carried
by the conductor Of the freight train which
met the passenger express. head on. Tho
watch was regarded as such An Important
element In The criminal prosecution which fol-
lowed that the lawyer who defended the con-
ductor got possession OF the errink timep!ece
1t an early stage OF The proceedings and threw
Il into the Chicago RIVER. lest 1 $ production In
court should convict his client of criminal
negligence In relying upon 30 worthless \
watch. 1t is said that tie senior member OF
. great 1ew"lry house which handles none but
Imported watches. and himself carries a swiss
watch, found some diriiculty IN always making
the SUBURBAN train which brings him to the
city. and finally discovered that he was much
more certain TO be on time when he depended
v pon his coachman. who carries an American
watch.
Dar1nna The ,1ast .ytont.hI.- .-tt-.. 4. n