The History of American watchmaking is a microcosm of the History of American manufacturing.
Included are appendices with a list and timeline of American Watch companies and a serial number chart..
By incorporating the histories of companies and innovations in Watch design, Harrold provides a comprehensive background for the rise and fall of American watchmaking, illustrated by photographs, charts, tables, graphs, and schematics.
Michael Harrold\'s "primer of Watch history" brings together the previously scattered and fragmented History of the American watchmaking industry.
Because of competition within the Industry watchmaking underwent numerous innovations including railroad standards, dollar watches, and the rise of the wristwatch.
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 country.
More broadly its rise and fall mirror that of the factory system as a whole.
It is at its heart a story of the factory system producing interchangeable parts on automatic machinery.
The History of American watchmaking is a microcosm of the History of American manufacturing
