17 Jewels Waltham Ladies Wristwatch Vintage

17 Jewels Waltham Ladies Wristwatch.

Until the mid 19th century, watchmaking was a cottage industry with watch parts being manufactured at different locations and then assembled together by hand. The process was imprecise, time-consuming, and resulted in a product that was unaffordable for a majority of people. The Waltham Watch Company began its operations at the site in 1854 and, through innovation, introduced a system of interchangeable parts. The Company developed machinery that could make watch parts so precisely that they were interchangeable with one another. This innovation served to catapult productivity and place the Waltham Watch Company on the international forefront as the first company to mass produce a complete watch under one roof. This mass production led to relatively affordable prices and the accessibility of watches for a broader population. The Waltham Watch Company thus served to expand America and the World’s time consciousness.