South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-23

skilled hand workmanship forms
such an important part in our man
ufacturing processes.
THE thing that has built up our
present demand is the uniformly
high quality of our product. The
standard will be preserved at all
costs and the question Of increased
production kept secondary to it.
Nevertheless we shall grow ana
there really is not any limit to our
opportunities for expansion. The
future of the company is assured.
The policies Of the South Bend
Watch Co. are progressive and lib
eral. We aim to have our employees
one big contcnted family and we
have instituted many welfare meas
ures for their benefit.
"Our merchandising methods are
also progressive. We are one of the
extensive and consistent advertisers
of the community and are constantly
on the lookout TO anticipate and
satisfy the requirements of our
trade.
The year 1919 and all the years
20 come look like so many oppor-
tunities to us and we believe our
growth and development will keep
pace with that of South Bend. We
take pride in the prosperous out
look for our home city and we want
our home city to take pride in us"
An Interesting Trip.
There are factories and factoriesi
A trip through a plant in which a
commodity is produced is usually in
teresting. A trip through the South
Bend watch factory is unusually in
teresting. There to be true, a
watch a minute" is not the motto,
but the sight OF hundreds of work
ers patiently and perhaps tediously
plugging away on the perfection of a
pin staff. a dial or a hair spring is
a veritable education experience. 1t
is difficult for the uninitiated to gain
an idea Of the numerous intricacies
and almost unimaginable minuteness
OF the watch game"
The movies" have shown us in
sort of a fashion how a certain
auto manufactures turns out one.
two and sometimes as many as three
cars "a minute. But the movies"
could never give an adequate
presentation of the manner in which
high grade watches are produced.
Only tour of the dozen or more
departments at the South Bend
watch factory can give to local folks
a closeup" of the making and as
sembly of watches. SUN a trip will
reveal the painstaking skill that is
required TO perfect the delicate
mechanism which works away in
your pocket without rest. twenty
four hours every day and 365 days a
year. measuring off time second by
second with nary a variation
Guides Always Available.
Until recently South Renders
have hesitated 10 avail themselves of
the invitation extended by the watch
company TO visit the plant. Con
genial guides are always available,
able and willing to show the sight
seer from Mr.. Erler's drafting de-
partment on through the production,
assembly and testing departments to
Mr.. Fleming's salesrooms. And,
again let it be said. each and every
department has an interest all its
own.
The South Bend watch is manu-
featured in entirety at the local fac
tory. With the exception of a few
Of the IFS or 200 parts in the time
piece such as jewels which are i'm
ported from Switzerland and Wen
M, the working parts are all de-
signed and manufactured complete
under this one roof.
A great proportion Of watch
making is done by hand by high
Is skilled workers who have devoted
lifetimes in the making or adjust
ment OF single parts.
The mechanical work is done by
automatic machines which perform
their tasks with almost human in
telligence Many of these machines
were designed by the companys own
experts and were constructed in the
company's own machine shops.
one such machine is used in the
making OF balance stats II prob
ably has no counterpart in the
Matchmaking industry. Automatical-
~ feeding itself with long bars OF
specially treated steel wire IL pro-
ceeds 20 make them into complete
balance STATS. performing in ten diff
ferent operations. ere II finally de-
posts the finished product in a pro-
vided receptacle. When the supply
OF wire is exhausted or when any
OF the operations 70 amiss 4 bell
sounds automatically. thus summon
ing an attendant who need pay nc
attention 10 the machine at any 9TH
er time.
This is but one OF the many me.
chanical wonders at the factory
There are scores OF others quite AZ
interesting and hundreds OF hand