How the Waterbury Watch Came Into the World.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6240, 17 May 1888, Page 1

How the Waterbury Watch Came Into the World.

e FAST 'II. This Wafcerbury Factory cost about half-a-million dollars, employs over four hundred hands, and turns oub now two thousand complete watches per day. In the basomento? the central building of the Waterbury "Watch Factory is the spring deuartineut and the pattern shop. On tho first floor of tbe wing is the machine shop, which ia well supplied with tools of tbe latest and ino3t expenaive design. This shop is fully occupied in making and repairing the delicate machinery used in tho actual work of making watches. In all this work tbe metric system is used, and the best metric gauges are used throughout the factory. These gauges will measure a thousandth of a centimetre. A specaal set of standard gauges is always kept at hand, and by these all the gauges used are frequently tested. Thero is nothing like testing your tests in such an art as this. The nest floor or" tho wing is devofced to the c»3e department. On the earao floor of the main building are tho offices of tho Company; above them the material rooms, where supplies of the different parts of watches aro kept in glas3 jar?, on shelves, or in drawers and case. Th<sro are at all ■times in thia room enough iiniabed parts ,'to make fiifcy thousand complete watches, |so that if any part of the building should . be disabled, the making of watches could i still proceed while repairs we?re being made '.to the building. In tbe spring-makiD/g department we nome to a work of special interest. When the Company began to make watchss it was thought that a common watoh-spring would Eerve the purpose. At the very outset difficulties were incurred. The spring must be a good one, of the best material and workmanship. The difficulty wa3 to get good steeli. Every, market in the world was searched, and, after trying all brands, it was i'omttd that cold rolled steel from Sheffield (brorld-famod for its steel) was the only thing that would meet the exacting demands of the" Waterbury." The ribbons of steel, from which the mainsprings are made, are wondierf nl for their uniformity o'i gauge; they seldom vary the 1- 1000th' part of a centimetre in thickness ia auy part. Ettch rifobou ia slits by machinery onto .narrow* alips.nine f eefc long, .and - these--aror*iben^ wfled'ffor^arijßnaßg. .