A -- THE ILLINOIS WATCH: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A GREAT AMERICAN WATCH COMPANY memorializes the rise of a great and sophisticated manufacturing facility in the early industrialized United States. The trials and tribulations of the Illinois Watch Company - from its modest beginnings through its many reorganizations to stay afloat, including its epic struggles through the Wall Street Panic of 1873 that was to last eight long years - mirrors the efforts of other nascent industries in America during that era. The impact of the tough coal strike of 1919 is explored as well as the early effects of the Great Depression in the United States. Regionally, the Illinois Watch Company led the industrial revolution in Springfield, Illinois, one of the nation's and the Midwest's leading cities.

Never before published information gleaned from employee interviews, company newsletters, and other previously inaccessible documents paint a true picture of factory life in America from 1870 to 1932. The book covers working conditions, employee turnover, employee benefits (e.g., life insurance, relief association, lunchroom, infirmary, library, and rest room), activities during and after work, plus special factory war time endeavors. Social activities were arranged specifically to get marriageable workers to interact. Other special events were held only for female workers.

The book chronicles the role of women in an industrialized work force where it was not uncommon for "girls" to start work as young as fourteen and be forced to quit when they married. By contrast, men routinely worked into their eighties. It was common for three generations of a single family to be employed simultaneously in the Watch Factory.

Also detailed is the horrible industrial health hazard experienced by the young lady radium dial painters known as The Ottawa Society of the Living Dead. It's ironic that, in its day, this work was considered among the very top occupations for young ladies in America.

All events in the first six chapters of the book are tied to historical sidebars so the reader is connected to key societal events, new product releases, and other cultural touchstones occurring simultaneously outside the Watch Factory.

The book explains the initially reluctant acceptance - and then steadily increasing popularity - of the strap watch among American men from what had been a strictly pocket watch culture until the advent of "modern" warfare in World War I.

In addition, anyone interested in Art Deco and Streamline Moderne will find an abundance of relevant information and material. Among American wristwatches, these design movements were epitomized in the oeuvre of the Illinois Watch Company. There is also a brief history of the Sangamo Electric Company that had its roots in the Illinois Watch Factory facility.

The remainder of the book provides details of the Watch Factory's production processes for its watch movements, how dials were made and cases were designed and procured, factory ephemera, along with a huge Identification guide of virtually every wristwatch model configuration with color pictures of each one.

A -- Fair question. In the book all of the information relating to the history of the company, the rise of strap watches from pocket watches, the life in the factory and working conditions of the employees, movement construction, production numbers and dates and pictures of workers performing the various tasks, the methods of making porcelain and metal dials, case makers used by Illinois and the chapter on company ephemera and related material are virtually the same for pocket watches and wristwatches. Only Chapter 7 the wristwatch Identification Guide and the Values Chapter are geared only to wristwatches. However, many of the Illinois advertisements featured in the Identification Guide and the Ephemera chapter have pocket watch items as well as other pocket watch promotional material. This book should serve as a valuable reference guide to the both the pocket and wristwatch collector.

A -- Yes, the book will have a picture of a Piccadilly with a fully-engraved bezel and one with a partially engraved bezel.

A -- Yes. The book will identify every wristwatch that was factory-cased. In fact, during research I discovered a published list from the Illinois Watch Company's Materials Department dated December 1, 1932 that set forth all the watches (pocket and wrist, men's and lady's) cased by the Illinois Watch Company factory. The tremendously interesting aspect about this list is that for men's wristwatches it contained the names of 42 models (in sizes of 3/0, 6/0 and 12/0) that I had not heard of previously. During further research I discovered the names of only 6 of these models. Therefore, amazingly 36 remain to be identified! Bear in mind, however, that Illinois frequently had a different name for a watch if it had leather v. a metal bracelet, 15 v. 17 jewels, or different numeral styles on the dials, etc.

A -- Some of the buildings formerly occupied by the Watch Factory have been renovated and are currently utilized by the Illinois State Environmental Protection Agency. This is discussed briefly in the book.

A -- I am not the publisher but it is my understanding that the publisher has no plans to release the book on CD or DVD.

A -- Yes it does. The book has a detailed matrix in the Identification Guide for every Illinois wristwatch that includes this type information and many other factors concerning the watch, along with color pictures of each watch in virtually all its configurations. There are also narrative descriptions for each watch and in certain instances original advertisements, design patents and collector anecdotes.

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