At the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, members of a Swiss delegation were shocked by a display of American watch making wizardry. At the time, Swiss craftsmen assembled timepieces one by one , using irregular handmade parts that required additional honing to function in a movement. In Pennsylvania, the Swiss observed how American watchmakers used machines to manufacture interchangeable parts that were consistent in form. This ability to mass-produce precision components dramatically increased productivity among American manufacturers, which posed a threat to Swiss horologic al dominance. In a 2002 article in Antiquorum's Vox magazine titled - " Decorative Aspect of American Horology", Philip Poniz quotes excerpts from an 1876 address to the Swiss watch industry delivered by Edouard Favre-Perret in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland: "Today we must earnestly prepare to struggle with the Americans on the fields where we have been the masters....... I sincerely confess that I personally have doubted that competition......But now I have seen - I have felt - and am terrified by the danger to which our industry is exposed."

Of course, in the end the Swiss cleverly adapted similar manufacturing methods and eventually overtook their upstart competitors. "The American watch industry was king for a time in the early 1900's," says James Lubic , executive director of the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute, a non-profit trade association focused on repair and restoration. "In the 1930's and '40's, it started losing its luster. The Swiss made thinner, less expensive, more accurate timekeepers."

World war II further sealed the American industry's fate , as domestic manufacturers channeled their energies into the war effort while the neutral Swiss gained a stronger foothold in the U.S. market. During the mid-2oth century, American companies in the watch making centers of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Illinois went out of business, taking with them the allied industries that supplied cases, crystals, and dials. Hamilton, the last surviving American watchmaker, closed its Lancaster, Pa., movement factory in 1969.

Yet the industry did not leave Lancaster County for long. In 1992 , Swiss-trained watchmaker Roland G. Murphy produced his first RGM Watch Co. timepiece, assembled from Swiss parts in Mount Joy, Pa. This year, Murphy unveiled RGM's Caliber 801, which contains the first U.S.-made movement in decades. "It was important for me to create our own caliber here," says Murphy, who invested four years in the development of Caliber 801. "The heart of a watch is the movement. Anyone can put something together using another movement. I want base plates, main plates and manufacturing". Swiss firms supply the hairspring, balance escapement, jewels, and mainsprings. "Certain parts must be made outside", explains Murphy. " Its like General Motors outsourcing the production of its radio's, seats , and airbags." Lubic who has followed the project, hails Murphy's accomplishment. "He is to be congratulated for his persistence in making this happen," Lubic says. "Over the 18 years I've heard a numbers of people say they want to manufacture an American watch, but Roland was the first to do it."

RGM's Caliber 801 , which was named for the company's address on West Main Street in Mount Joy , Pennsylvania, is reminiscent of several classic models that were once made by Illinois Watch , Hamilton , and E. Howard Watch. The winding wheel, for example features a highly polished deep groove similar to those in earlier American models, such as Hamilton's 923. Murphy says the styles of the bridges recall that of the Edward Howard, E. Howard's top-of-the-line model in the early 1900's. "The design is typical of American watch style," he says. "There are a lot of curves, and you can see the inner workings of the movement with all the intersecting wheels." The click ( the ratchet devises that keeps the drum wound ) also draws upon the mechanical heritage of vintage American timepieces from Illinois Watch and E. Howard. Rather than a typical modern round click, this design features an arm that extends from the side of the bridge. "A lot of the things we make are in a very classic style, " Murphy says, "so in doing our first American made movement, it was important to get that classic American-watch feel."

RGM will complete the first 100 Caliber 801's over the course of the next year, which is significant given that the Company produces only 400 watches annually. The 801 movement will serve as a platform upon which other functions can be added in future models. Each watch is hand finished, so buyers will be able to customize their pieces with various plating and engraving options. RGM uses , depending upon the finish desired - one of its three Rose Engines or Straight line machines to perform guilloche engraving - an RGM hallmark. In one 801 variation with an engraved main plate, the movement itself serves as a dial. The company now makes its own cases for several models in its line, including the 801, which starts roughly at $6000. Outside manufacturers will continue to supply the crystals and gaskets.

We look forward to seeing what RGM has in store for the future of watches-made THE AMERICAN WAY.