The Ludington Daily News from Ludington, Michigan • Page 39

THURSDAY, JUNE 6,1940. THE DAILY MICHIGAN PAGE THREE i Watch Case Manufacturing Is One of Ludingion's Biggest Industries; New Styles Ire Designed Constantly What's the latest in watch important gold, silver and other metal cases in which watch movements are put to make a finished timepiece? In Ludington it is quite an issue because The Star Watch Case one of the nation's largest manufacturers of watch cases, is likewise one of the city's largest, most dependable industries. Watch cases, no less than' women's hats, have their interesting style trends from year to year, changing markedly both in kind of metal and in shape of cases. The progressive manufacturer must know these trends and lead the way in them, often helping to create them and adapt them to his industry by watching how "they develop in other lines of style merchandise. In other words, there is often a direct correlation between styles as they develop In various lines of manufacture.

In colorations of precious metals, a relatively new field of great importance in the watch case and jewelry trade in recent years, there has been a marked trend in the past year toward pink or red gold cases in watch manufacturing. The colorations are made, in the case of gold, by alloying other metals with it. The percentage of gold remains constant, the various tints being obtained by means of the added substances. Gold once was "just gold." It had a fixed color which everyone thought of when the word "gold" was mentioned. Then came white gold, yellow gold and now, more recently, the red or pink gold.

All contain the same proportions of actual gold but vary in tint because of the varying substances mixed with the gold itself. The new gold shades, giving the precious metal a rosy or slightly copper-like tone, are interesting and attractive, finding a ready reception with those who are watch customers. Weary of the older tones, the eye takes readily to the pleasing newer feshades. But coloration of precious metals Is only one of the more modern phases of watch case design and manufacture. Another involves frequent style changes in shape and size of cases, while a third relates to actual method of manufacture.

For instance, a year ago watch cases tended to be long and curved to fit the wrist, that being especially true of cases for men's wrist watches. During the past year, cases have tended toward more compact shapes and sizes, both for men's and ladies' watches. They have become shorter and thinner, many of them with spherical dial openings and crystals, the crystal itself being raised above the case to give an exceedingly finished, jewel-like effect. The new red and pink shades of gold are being used both alone and in interesting combinations with white and yellow gold. The latter produces two-tone effects that add variety and eye-appeal to the completed watch.

In regard to method of manufacture, more emphasis than ever before in the history of the business is being placed today on accuracy and precision in manufacturing. This is to offer more protection to the watch movement, insuring that the movement will be as dust-free and wear-proof as it Is possible to make it. To aid in standardization and precision work, one of the of The Star Watch Case has been to install a laboratory to check, in advance of shipment, the cases it manufactures. In other words, the company is not content merely to use reasonable care and accuracy in production; it wants to know, before its products are put in use, that they measure up to proper standards. Its laboratory tests are for evenness of manufacture and for wearability.

By precision instruments, for example, it can tell in advance what 10 years of ordinary wear and tear will do. So year after year the buyer gets more and more for less and less. The factor of competition, plus improved production methods, brings this about in watch cases as in automobiles and other lines of manufacture. Never before has The Star Watch Case Co. produced cases of comparable quality at such low prices.

"Star" cases are manufactured in Ludington for virtually all types and grades of movements. Prom the point of view of ingredients, this ij volves- Jive separate divisions of cases, namely, the solid gold-filled cases, rolled gold plate, sterling silver and those known as 'base metal cases, the latter being made either of stainless steel or nickel chromium. "Star" cases are manufactured for all varieties of American-made movements such as Oite of like Michigan's Busiest Ports Ludington is famed for marine life, its harbor being the second largest, in point of gross tonnage handled, on the east shore of Lake Michigan. Photo above, taken in the channel at the Ludington coast guard station, shows construction tugs anchored near the government lookout tower. the well-known Elgin, Hamilton.

Waltham and Illinois watches. In addition, Ludington cases are sold to importers of the better grade of imported Swiss movements. It is true a person who buys a watch, unless he lives in Ludington, is probably not interested especially in who makes the case he gets. But to the watch manufacturer, or to the specialist, "Star" cases are known the world over for their quality and for the efficiency with which they are produced Ludington. It is this factor which makes The Star Watch Casn Co.

one of Luding- ton's most consistent and most stable industries. More than 100 years ago, before the use of poison gas in war was thought of, the gas mask was in existence, In 1825 an American workman fashioned a leather hood similar except in material to the modern mask, that completely enveloped the head. The last year was the best since 1929 for the construction industry in the United States, particularly in residential building. Nonfarm building showed an estimated increase of 37.per- I cent over 1938. Ludington-Made PRODUCTS WINDOW SCREENS STEEL and GLASS VENTILATORS SPACE-SAVING CLOSET FIXTURES AND HANDICRAFT DEVICES For Making Hooked Rugs, Embroidery Hooks, Crochet Work, Etc.

CO. I Ludington, Mich. Since the datw of man has worked? silver, aM imifn. Reaching featck irito fflfr tiquity, historian teH of aborigines and their clever ing of these minerals, for cheologists have unearthed kets and baubles with beaiitiM carvings eiigtaved iri them; At the close of the 15th century German artisans under Peter Hele, in his famous clock shbft in Nuremberg, made the first watch, encasing it in precious metal, for indeed it needed the finest Sitting. This case was turned from solid chunks of metal with the workman laboriously cutting the material away until the watch parts could slip into their container.

Using that method, it meant that each case was a piece of exact and painstaking for it took days and even weeks to produce an en closure that would encompass the large, unwield- ly work of the first watches. Through 400 years many changes have been made iri the art of watch making. Paralleling this advance, like changes have been made in the art of producing cases for the new works. The men who produced the mechanical parts of the timepieces ttefaiii experimenting with smaller watch parts, decreasing the size until the middle of the 19tti cetitufy saw a complete watch being produced that was about the diameter of a 50 cent piece and about a half inch thick. With these changes it was natural that case makers would also change their methods of tniti- ufacture.

The first case was a cumbersome, bulky affair that was about three inches in diameter and an inch to an inch and a half in thickness. Special pockets were constructed in men's clothing to carry these huge timepieces. Many painstaking hours of hand labor were required to tfrodtiCe this case, and even then it failed to fit exactly enough to keep out the dust arid grit. In 1898 the Star Watch Case Company was organized in Elgin, Illinois, and in iJM)5 was iiibved to Ludington. About this same time great changes were being made in the production of (sales; from the tedious old hand method to the more modern machine precision method.

Ne-itf machines for stamping, welding, parts making, rolling, multiple engraving, came into being, thus eliminating the trial and error method of hand craftsmanship. During the World war the now essM- tial wrist watch was introduced. This meant a complete revolution in the manufacturing of cases. Smaller works brought about smaller and finer made enclosures had to fit exactly to keep out dust that would affect the intricate working parts of the timepiece. Special tbblsj dies and machines were introduced to make the cases fit exactly.

Styling became a great feature, for watches of the wrist type were being made for both men and women Thinness, rectangular shapes, curved backs, were essential to meet the demands of the buyers. Accurate fitting of the case parts was essential; thus the machines which now produce these parts came into a prominent part in production. The Star Watch Case Company has met all of the advances in the industry, being slire tnsfct ife plant is able to turn out the finest type of case that can be made anywhere. We are jtistiy proud that our cases are used on the finest watches in the world, for we believe that we have kept iip witjj the march of time. Our tools, dies and precision machinery are of the latest design, arid aistiri the accuracy that is wanted.

The use of the latest designs in the general construciibri tiie casei makes them a work of art. 'Changing with the demands of time from yellow gold to white id iiidt- inum, and now to the red or pink gold, assures our buyers that they get the most modern of caiei; So, with other industries of Ludington, this firm, representing a craft that reaches into the haze of history, salutes a modern city and those who attempt to make it progressive. The mariagSirieiit appreciates the manner in which its workmen have co-operated to make the future of tfils business riiore permanent. The management again pledges itself to do everything possible to keep its plant a progressive element of Ludington's life. STAR WATCH 4.