| Like countless other consumer products, the | | | | fatal results. French Army and U.S. Army |
| way in which modern wrist watches are | | | | troops that had been issued the gun quickly |
| manufactured has undergone incredible changes | | | | discovered that the parts were not |
| since the Industrial Revolution that broke | | | | interchangeable, meaning that the parts from |
| during the turn of twentieth century. This | | | | one gun could not used on another. |
| important period in world history ushered in | | | | |
| entirely new ways to mass produce products | | | | A second even more serious drawback was that |
| for a growing world population. | | | | the loading and firing mechanism in the guns |
| | | | would often jamb owing to the lack of |
| In every facet of manufacturing there were | | | | integrated quality control methods. All in |
| incredible technological advances that | | | | all, the Chauchat was a disaster for the |
| improved efficiencies and helped reduce | | | | troops that had rely in it during the |
| production costs. | | | | brutality of trench warfare. |
| | | | |
| Most of us have heard about the way Henry | | | | A far less daunting problem was faced by |
| Ford changed the way automobiles were built | | | | those in the watch making and watch repair |
| by developing the production line assembly | | | | business. Like the Chauchat, the parts from |
| method. Cars would constantly roll off the | | | | one brand or even model of watch could not |
| Ford assembly line as workers would fit | | | | used to repair the same make and model. A |
| various parts to the chassis in a precise | | | | major change in how watch parts were designed |
| order and within a predetermined time. | | | | and manufactured came from the Bulova Watch |
| | | | Company. |
| What few of us think about are the other | | | | |
| changes that made this type manufacturing | | | | In the early nineteen twenties Bulova |
| operation possible. Absolutely critical to | | | | introduced the world's first wrist watch |
| the success of the mass production line was | | | | designs that incorporated standardized parts |
| the development of standardized parts, | | | | manufactured to very close tolerances. The |
| components that are nearly identical to each | | | | major benefit to this change in engineering |
| other. | | | | and design strategy was that watch makers |
| | | | could use the parts from one Bulova watch to |
| Prior to the development of mass production | | | | repair any other Bulova watch regardless of |
| assembly lines, most mechanical assemblies, | | | | the model. Another additional benefit to |
| including watches were built from components | | | | watch repairers was the ability to keep spare |
| that were made individually most often by | | | | parts on hand and as a result, the time |
| different producers. This meant that very | | | | needed to repair a Bulova watch was greatly |
| often, parts from one machine be it a car, | | | | reduced. |
| locomotive or sewing machine, could be not be | | | | |
| used on another machine. | | | | As other watch producers adopted the practice |
| | | | of parts standardization and integrated |
| A good example of the obvious draw backs to | | | | quality control, the reliability of wrist |
| building machines individually can be seen in | | | | watches was greatly increased. The use of |
| a tragic story from World War One. The French | | | | standardized components meant that those |
| developed a machine gun, the Chauchat that | | | | parts that subject to wear did so in more |
| was built one at a time by individual | | | | consistent and predictable way, requiring far |
| craftsmen. Though the plans for the gun | | | | less maintenance and repair than those |
| called for the same dimensions, differing | | | | timepieces assembled as one of kind items. |
| production methods and the whim of the | | | | |
| builder resulted in each weapon literally | | | | Sadly, as with most old line businesses that |
| being a one of a kind creation. | | | | saw significant change and as watches became |
| | | | more trouble free, the once wide spread trade |
| For the troops in the field, this nonstandard | | | | of watch repair has largely disappeared. |
| way of manufacturing had tragic sometimes | | | | |