Currently made in USA watches

Between here, Bethlehem, Pa and Pittsburgh- he was probably very busy.

I documented a fasteners plant (nails, tacks and brads) here in 2003 that had finally closed its doors after over 100 years in business (they were literally packing up the offices and scrapping the machinery as I was documenting the place).

It was a 3 generation family business that had employed around 75-100 employees at any given time- some for their entire careers from teenage to retirement. They had blacksmiths and a small foundry to machine parts for their machinery, skilled machine operators, a packing plant, sales and accounting departments- this was an eco-system of skilled labor using a 19th century process that worked beautifully.

They invented packaged nails (as opposed to being sold in barrels), they invented he heat bluing sterilization process for furniture tacks (as upholsters used to keep the tacks in their mouth since you needed two hands to stretch fabric and drive the nails)- they were the second to last domestic fasteners company left on the country.

They folded due to a series of bad business decisions with Walmart (who made them a sweetheart deal in the early 90’s and then changed the terms a decade later) and by the time they got free of the deal with the devil, cheap Korean made fasteners has taken over the market.

I got a few boxes of nails from their packing plant as they were throwing things in the dumpster (they said to take as much as I could carry). The boxes were from the 80’s when they exclusively used Bethlehem steel (they still had the giant wood spools stacked up that the wire to make the nails came on). I tested them at home against some modern Home Depot nails to see if there was a difference. The Korean nails would bend about every 2nd nail- some unusable and once I pulled them they were never usable again. The Beth steel nails stayed stair no matter what angle I drive them from- and I could pull them over and over and drive them again.

So we saved a few cents on a box nails by no longer buying domestically made steel…but is it really a savings?

Vaer watches is a mixed bag, but some of their watches are assembled in the USA. They have a few that use the USA made Ameriquartz movement:

https://www.vaerwatches.com/product...ameriquartz?_pos=2&_psq=ameriqua&_ss=e&_v=1.0

I owned one and was not overly impressed. It was a decent watch for the price, but nothing special.

I have a colleague who has one of these- he likes it. But he’s a fan of microbrands.

I made the mistake of referring to these threads in the hardware store. Many of the chemicals I would like to use have been banned and are no longer sold. Personally I think that is a form of anti competitive corporate culture. Something one would expect of Mob tactics as what I want is high strength alcohol (called mentholated spirits in the UK.)

Seems that one can not have industrial manufacturing and environmental responsibility. Much is done in the name of greater good for so called 'public health.'

So it really comes down to pick two of the three. The most expensive being industrial manufacturing and public health, but at the cost of the environment.

There is much talk of deregulation, but it ain't going to happen. There are too many fingers in the pie. People prefer to live off 'investments' and other delusions of grandeur.

The world is mostly illusion anyway.

As for domestic 'watch companies.' Back when I was doing the Sunday chats, there was a lady from Abbington watches. I kept the tab open next to this one for years. I think they were basically a custom finisher based in los Vegas. One of many micro brands. This one aimed though at female adventures.

It would be possible for me to scratch build a watch. Would probably follow the Swiss pattern though, not unlike how the Elgin production became the norm for both Swiss and Japanese post war manufacturing. And to an extent the french an German, which also seem to be no longer viable. I still find it ironic that the San Jose watch company of Alviso machinery wound up being incorporated into the Hatori group.

In the 1970s there were about 20 or so 'Watch companies' in the silicon valley. Making digital led watches. The feeling was that watches would be the next big things after calculators. Texas instruments in the end wound up taking over National Semiconductor. I used to have a storage unit which was on the site of the so called Superfund site which was where they dumped the etching chemicals from the chip fab.

Back in the day kids had home chemistry sets, which had these chemicals, so they could learn not to be afraid of them. Now the system teaches fear, as fear as the mob learned is a great way to control people. And it can be as simple as missing out of the action.

I was going to see about re-plating some cases. Turns out to get the acid copper and nickel to adhere to pot metal or brass (which contains tin) That a 'copper strike' is needed which requires cyanide. Used to have some potassium cyanide for making homemade blueprints. Long since gone. On the other hand I found that rio-Grande does list non cyanide copper strike solution.

I also got back into the failed Kodak scanner restoration and APS camera stuff. Kodak was a chemical company. One can get the color developer solutions for the c-41 process. Technicolor on the other hand, is impossible to replicate. Seems though that some of the younger generation (mostly artists.) find the wet chemistry processes interesting, and there is a huge presence on reviving old cameras and such. 3D printing the cartridges and cutting up bulk film stock.

So there may be hope for the future ...

Start with Nicholas Hacko.
Australian assembled and also Australian Made (to a very high degree).

If you want an exceptional American made watch find an Hamilton 920 Masterpiece. They are some of the finest watches from America's hay day as a manufacturing powerhouse.

Dude's shop is amazing.

Everything you say is true, but alas they are not currently made in the USA as the thread stipulates.

No, but the poster I was responding to never stipulated that the watch had to be a currently made one, so I took the opportunity to plug one of my favorite watch makers of the past.

Or get a model 222 R from RGM … Hamilton 921 reworked in a US made watch …

I’ve been ogling ever since Roland began this line.

…..😗….🫢…..that’s what she said!
Sorry, couldn’t help myself.