American Watchmaking: A Technical History of the American Watch Industry, 1850-1930The history of American watchmaking is a microcosm of the history of American manufacturing. It is at its heart a story of the factory system producing interchangeable parts on automatic machinery. More broadly its rise and fall mirror that of the factory system as a whole. By embracing that system watch companies were able to create affordable watches for the newly established middle class and create good jobs for millions of men and women across the