I always wondered how it was done at the factory and the following links into the Illinois Watch Company explain a lot. I stumbled into the site today after looking for a part for my friends Bunn Special that used to be his wife’s fathers watch. The watch sat for years not running and last night I got it ticking again.

Documentary titled 'The Story of a Watch'. A train arrives at a railway station. Large crowd on the station. Engine driver of the train smokes a pipe. Pocket watch in his hand showing 4 O' Clock. Exteriors of the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois. Exteriors of the company's Astronomical Observatory and Wireless Station.

Exteriors of the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Watches are assembled at the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Women workers work in the Jewel Department of the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Workers size and shape jewels in the Jewelling Department of the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

The process of 'Uprighting' to place jewels in watch plate, at the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Screw block is polished at the Steel Polishing Department at the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Manufacture of winding mechanism for watch at the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Train wheels are placed inside a watch plate at the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Ornamental decoration of watch plates is done at the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Manufacture of watch parts at the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Pocket-watch parts assembled inside a watch plate at the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Making of enamel dials for the watch at the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Watch parts assembled at the Assembling Department of the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Material Department and Printing Department of the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

The Astronomical Observatory of the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Operations inside the Wireless Station of the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Facilities for the employees of the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois.

Different models of the pocket and wrist watch produced by the Illinois Watch Company.

This documentary answered many questions for me as to what machines, tools, and processes were utilized to manufacture the watches we collect today. It really hits home because after High School I worked in machine shops for several years.

Hope you enjoy the look into our past technology as much as I do,

RR

Thanks, Richard for posting this. Most informative

The requested resource
/video/gone/
is no longer available on this server and there is no forwarding address. Please remove all references to this resource.
Error 404 is what I get by trying to get to that web.

They all work for me, Peter.

Regards! Mark

I get the same thing as Peter.. Mike

Thank you Richard, best documentary on watch manufacturing I've seen so far. I found myself saying "WOW" quite a few times!
Peter

Just tried them again, and they're still working perfectly. Weird!

You guys behind a firewall?

Regards! Mark

Works for me. Regards Roger

Thanks for posting these links. I surely enjoyed them.

Yes, thanks for posting, very enjoyable!

Guys,
I’m glad you like the clips.
For some reason the links were all working for me at home the evening they were posted but the next morning and today several don’t? When I tried them on the computer at my workplace they all worked. Perhaps it’s because the website wants to sell the clips? Since some members are getting full access I’ll leave the links as posted.
RR

RR,
I was able to watch a few of them and it was nice to see how these things were done back in the day. Thanks for sharing!
Dan

Richard:

Great film clips of history gone by, one correction the engine driver (more correctly locomotive engineer) is not shown, that is actually the locomotive fireman sitting on the left-hand of the steam locomotives cab, his hands dirty from probably shoveling tons of coal.

Larry