MODERN WATCH MAKING From what has been said it will be seen that for many years the form of escapements and balance-wheels has not greatly al tered. The great improvements which modern science has been able to effect in watches are chiefly in the use of new metals and in the employment of machinery, which, though they have altered the form but little, have effected an enormous revolution in the price. The cases of modern watches are made sometimes of steel, artificially blackened, sometimes of compounds of aluminium and copper, known as aluminium gold. Silver is at present being less employed than formerly. The hair-springs are often of palladium in order to render the watch non-magnetizable. An ordinary watch, if the wearer goes near a dynamo, will probably become magnetized and quite useless for time-keeping. One of the simplest cures for this accident is to twirl it rapidly round while retreating from the dynamo and to continue the motion till at a considerable distance. The use of invar has been already noticed.
The forms given to watches have exercised the ingenuity of the most splendid artists. They have been enclosed in fanciful cases representing deaths' heads and all sorts of sacred emblems. They have been ornamented by movable figures and in some of them little chimes have been inserted, but the tendency of modern days is rather in favour of utility than beauty. One of the most inter esting centres of watch-making is to be found at Neuchatel in Switzerland. There on a ridge of mountains overlooking the valley is a row of watch-making factories. They are provided with water power during the summer and in winter they use gas-engines. A large amount of the work is done by industries in the homes. The people have been watch-makers for generations. To them it is a family trade. A visit to this interesting locality would show how possible it is to unite work done with the highest scientific appliances and happy family life. Splendid schools are provided where the engineering of watch-making is thoroughly taught and inspection of the factories will show how effectively scientific engineering can be made applicable to factory work.
The use of jewelled bearings for watch pivots was introduced by Nicholas Facio about the beginning of the i8th century. Dia
monds and sapphires are usually employed and pierced either by diamond drills or by drills covered with diamond dust. Rubies are not a very favourite stone for jewels, but as they and sapphires can now be made artificially for about two shillings a carat the difficulty of obtaining material for watch jewelling is met.
Watches have also been fitted with machinery whereby electric contacts are made by them at intervals, so that if wires led to and away from them, they can be made to give electric signals and thus mark dots at regular intervals on a moving strip of paper.