ABSTRACT
The shift from the fi rst attempts to manufacture watches and clocks, as introduced in the previous chapter, to a real industrialization of production based on longlasting and competitive enterprises, occurred during the fi rst third of the 20th century. The success of this industrial development relied as much on technological as it did on commercial factors. The acquisition of know-how in designing, developing, and making new products was indeed not suffi cient to ensure the survival of the fi rst clock-and watchmaking companies. The access and control of markets were also key issues during these formative years. This chapter tackles the main technological challenges of the industrialization of watch production. The issue of commercialization will be treated in the next chapter.
