| Before wristwatches became ubiquitous in
| |
| | Gemstones like garnet, rubies, sapphires
|
| our society, pocket watches were the
| |
| | and diamond. Garnets would be cut with
|
| standard for personal timekeeping. The
| |
| | diamond points into tiny disks and would
|
| first pocket watch is thought to have
| |
| | then be set in tiny plates of gold.
|
| been made in Germany towards the end of
| |
| | The intricate process of assembly the
|
| the fifteenth century. Bearing a close
| |
| | works required precisely made screws and
|
| resemblance to the traditional clock,
| |
| | other components that would often be
|
| early pocket watches operated in very
| |
| | plated or heat treated by hand. The small
|
| much the same manner as their clock
| |
| | gears were stamped from brass using very
|
| cousins.
| |
| | precisely made dies and springs were
|
| A deviation from traditional clock
| |
| | formed from fine spring wire.
|
| designs, pocket watches used the
| |
| | Dial faces were similarly stamped out of
|
| combination of a mainspring, hairspring
| |
| | a base metal, enameled and the markings
|
| and a balance wheel. This is in contrast
| |
| | stenciled in place and the dial would be
|
| to traditional clock designs that used a
| |
| | fired again. Once fully assembled, the
|
| swinging pendulum and counter weights.
| |
| | finished watch was subjected to cold
|
| Like today's wristwatches, pocket watches
| |
| | temperatures of around forty degrees
|
| consist of two main components, the inner
| |
| | Fahrenheit and then exposed to higher
|
| works and a metal case. Many different
| |
| | temperatures up to around one hundred
|
| metals were used for early pocket
| |
| | degrees Fahrenheit. This process was
|
| watchcases including gold and silver. The
| |
| | undoubtedly used to test the watch in
|
| case was usually of a two piece clamshell
| |
| | different temperature extremes to ensure
|
| design. The cases of early watches were
| |
| | consistent operation.
|
| impervious to dirt and moisture, which
| |
| | Like countless other consumer products,
|
| meant the watches, needed a good bit
| |
| | the way in which modern wrist watches are
|
| regular cleaning. As time went on, other
| |
| | manufactured has undergone incredible
|
| less expensive metals were used for case
| |
| | changes since the Industrial Revolution
|
| works including mild steel and pot metal.
| |
| | that broke during the turn of twentieth
|
| The inner works of the early pocket watch
| |
| | century. This important period in world
|
| contained a number of gears and wheels
| |
| | history ushered in entirely new ways to
|
| held in place between two metal plates.
| |
| | mass produce products for a growing world
|
| The lower plate or pillar plate rests
| |
| | population. In every facet of
|
| next to the dial while the upper plate
| |
| | manufacturing there were incredible
|
| might have come in two pieces though the
| |
| | technological advances that improved
|
| best made watches utilized a single piece
| |
| | efficiencies and helped reduce production
|
| upper plate. The plates were precisely
| |
| | costs.
|
| drilled and bored to hold the other
| |
| | Most of us have heard about the way Henry
|
| components in the proper place.
| |
| | Ford changed the way automobiles were
|
| To prevent wear of the moving parts, hard
| |
| | built by developing the production line
|
| gemstones were used with the moving pegs
| |
| | assembly method. Cars would constantly
|
| or axles. There were four wheels in the
| |
| | roll off the Ford assembly line, as
|
| works known as the barrel wheel, the
| |
| | workers would fit various parts to the
|
| first wheel, the second wheel and the
| |
| | chassis in a precise order and within a
|
| third wheel. The barrel wheel is used as
| |
| | predetermined time.
|
| the attachment for the mainspring.
| |
| | What few of us think about are the other
|
| The motion is transmitted by the
| |
| | changes that made this type manufacturing
|
| uncoiling of the spring and is regulated
| |
| | operation possible. Critical to the
|
| by the escapement that is kept moving by
| |
| | success of the mass production line was
|
| the combined action of the mainspring and
| |
| | the development of standardized parts,
|
| the hairspring providing an oscillating
| |
| | components that are nearly identical to
|
| movement. The wheel that has sixty gear
| |
| | each other.
|
| teeth around the circumference engages
| |
| | Prior to the development of mass
|
| the escapement wheel and transmits motion
| |
| | production assembly lines, most
|
| to the minute hand. It also meshes into
| |
| | mechanical assemblies, including watches
|
| the pinion of the center wheel that
| |
| | were built from components that were made
|
| transmits motion to the hour hand.
| |
| | individually most often by different
|
| Movement is controlled by a lever that is
| |
| | producers. This meant that very often,
|
| connected to the hairspring. By moving
| |
| | parts from one machine be it a car,
|
| the lever to the left or the right, the
| |
| | locomotive or sewing machine, could be
|
| tension of the hairspring is increased or
| |
| | not be used on another machine.
|
| reduced.
| |
| | As other watch producers adopted the
|
| The plates of the works were made from
| |
| | practice of parts standardization and
|
| plate stock of steel or brass and would
| |
| | integrated quality control, the
|
| go through a series of machining
| |
| | reliability of wrist watches was greatly
|
| operations that would include being
| |
| | increased. The use of standardized
|
| placed on a pantograph machine which
| |
| | components meant that those parts that
|
| would exactly copy dimensions from a
| |
| | subject to wear did so in more consistent
|
| master part to the part being machined.
| |
| | and predictable way, requiring far less
|
| After machining, the plates would be
| |
| | maintenance and repair than those
|
| polished using several types of abrasive
| |
| | timepieces assembled as one of kind
|
| materials like emery.
| |
| | items.
|
