Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-29
Making Watches in the United
States

Although probably the last country
tn take up the manufacture OF
watches, the United States today is
making them more cheaply h any
other nation. There are about forty
two establishments in this country
that make either watch cases or the
movements. The capital involved IN
this industry Is over $32, 900, 600,
while the number of people employed
is nearly 5000. These employees,
about SO per cent of whom are wom-
en-, get annually about $4,000, 900 in
wages. 1t is estimated that the value
of these factories, including custom
work and repairing, Is nearly wiz
600, 900, while nearly 100000 is
spent annually for materials and IN
cldental expenses.
The watchword of the watch fac
tory is cleanliness. In the produc-
ton of the numberless tiny parts
which go to make up the whole, dust
would mean ruin. The majority or
watch factories are surrounded by
lawns-in some instances parks. The
building itself is composed, in so far
as possible, of glass, the hrickwork
being only enough to support the
panes. This is to afford all the light
Vulnerable lights burn all day inside
the buildings.
Making a watch, movement Is not a
simple process. There are an aver
age of nom $50 to 175 distinct parts
to every movement, while to make a
complete movement necessitates near
ly four thousand distinct operations.
In this process many parts arc need
cd which are in themselves wonders.
Tho smallest screw used in a watch
movement weighs one-thirty-thou-
sandth of a pound and has a thread
of 260 to the inch. The wire of the
hairspring, which is a foot long,
weighs but one-fifteenth thousandth
of a pound and is reputed to be,
weight for weight, the most expensive
product in the world.
Jewels, first used as pivot bearings
in the seventeenth century, are an
other portion OF the work which is
very delicate. A pallet jewel weighs
but n notwithstanding thou
of a pound, while roller jewels
weigh even less. There are three
kinds OF jewels used in making a
according to its class. The
best are sapphires and rubies, the
second crystal and the third garnets.
\ large portion of the work lies,
not IN making the watch movement,
but in making the various parts which
ire afterward to be put together. In
AAt iAAftAANA VI ~ We 0ARAA& hAlR'1 -
much to be done. Time was when
-hese were made by hand, a days
work being from 500 to LOO. With
1 daily output of $500 movements,
one of which required from
.hirty to fifty screws, would mean
hat about eighty men would have TO
employed for the making of screws
Today a machine is used which
arms out daily from 1000 to $1,000 |
af ihn0n and rom esnH tlA. nffna.l a. nnn |
If but N person.
1t was an American who first pro-
losed the use of machinery in the |
making Of watches. This was Aaron |
!. Dcnnison of Boston, who, in 1850, |
opened a watch factory in partner
hip with Howard & Curtis. at Rox-
Jury, Mass. Up to that time watches |
we're all made by hand, Switzerland. |
which gained the reputation of being
watch making country of the
world, made all her timepieces not
'nly by hand, but certain communities
n part. Generation after
generation grew up as expert watch
makers, being fought the art when
All these communities
different parts were visited
so often and their ware col
ected. Then still another
ty. skilled in the art of putting the
RiiN AtENAiltis WAS lttutu 10 GOIl- |
'lcte the work. To-day this custom no
onger prevails, as machinery mas
cen installed i'm all large watch max
ng c%enters. In addition to this
chools have been opened to teach the
Of watches by machinery.
No matter how reliable a watch or
lock may be. there is sure TO be the
fraction of "A seconds differ
nee between It and the real time
he true timepiece is the earth. Ac-
ording TO Professor Newcomb. the
arth has not altered its course one
undredth and probably not one
housandth, part of a second since the
eginning of the Christian era. The
irect effect of this rotation is the ap-
aren't revolution of the stars across
he sky. Every conspicuous star. and
here are about 900. has its position
arefully determined by right ascen-
and declination. n from a pre-
AIRED catalogue the astronomers can
scertain just what time it Is by the
assage of a star at a certain mer-
Liam.