The American Watch Industry Nineteenth-century America was characterized by an ever-increasing "time-consciousness" fostered in part by the diffusion of clocks, the spread of railroads and railway tikes and the more rigidly fixed business hours of factories, offices and shops. Personal timekeeping was more important than ever, but watches were still too expensive for the average American to own. Recognizing the market for inexpensive timepieces, American watchmakers set out to make a watch that any working American could afford. As a result of improved productions methods and competitive pricing, an American jeweled watch that cost about $40 in 1850 could be purchased for a little over $10 in 1880. In addition, the industry expanded their low-end offerings. By the 1880s, one could buy a reasonably good watch for as little as three dollars, and within the next decade, models selling for a dollar became available. This is not to say that American firms were not producing fine watches. During the late decades of the 1800s, several firms began supplying the railroad industry with highly jeweled precision watches; and firms like Howard, Waltham and Elgin offered high-end items costing as much as $150. However, many firms, seeing the popularity of dollar-type watches, focused their energies on supplying the cheap market. The American watch industry went into decline after 1910. In addition to the recessions of the 1890s which weakened American industry in general, there were the industry-specific problems or overproduction and market saturation. Things worsened in the 1920s when the Swiss reentered the scene. Not only had they adopted machine manufacturing and learned modern marketing, but, unlike the Americans they had placed considerable emphasis on the wristwatch. Although watch production continued beyond World War II, by 1960 the American watch industry had narrowed dramatically in scope. |