Think of a watch,
and you think of something that tells you the time.
Or maybe you appreciate it as a fashion accessory.
But crack that watch open,
and beneath, you unearth another world,
one of hundreds of tiny moving parts that work in sync.
The art of watchmaking is often machine-based these days,
but at Timex, all the watches in its new collection
are handmade by watchmakers
who ensure each little piece clicks into place.
Timex manufactures watches across the globe.
But for its recent collection, American Documents,
it brought the craft back to the US,
to the Timex Headquarters in Connecticut.
And the process all starts with the watch head.
The watch's motor gets placed into a nest,
which is like a little bed for the motor.
In any analog watch,
the motor helps the watch run efficiently.
From there, the face of the watch
must line up with the two holes in the motor.
Then, with small tweezers, the hands of the watch
are carefully placed and pushed down.
The hands must be leveled precisely,
because if they clash, the watch will stop working.
Next is adding the glass
that goes over the face of the watch.
Before the glass is added, compressed air and a cloth
help get rid of any dust particles.
The watch head is then flipped over,
and the watchmaker uses a special fixture
to insert the crown.
The crown is the little knob on the side of the watch
that you use to change the time.
Dave Quinlan: Next, what we'll do is put the battery in.
We normally remove the batteries
when we're storing the movements
and while we're working on them,
because we don't want them to be running for no reason.
Fabiana: After the battery is inserted,
the ring support is next to be put on.
It prevents anything from wobbling around
inside the case, and keeps the many tiny pieces
where they're supposed to be.
The ring has a little USA tag,
which is shown in this Timex watch series.
Timex began manufacturing in Connecticut
back in 1854, but it didn't start with watches.
The company first made clocks.
Over time, production moved
to different factories across the world,
but Timex wanted to get back to producing
an American-made watch
with its new American Documents series.
Setting the time exactly right
is a crucial step of the process.
Once the watchmaker sets the time on the watch,
it's left to sit for 24 hours
to make sure it's running properly.
From there, a laser marks the inside of the case
with the date that the watch assembly started,
the Timex Group logo, and the words, "Made in USA."
The back of the case is then closed
with a device called a case press.
Timex has a reputation for being reliable
because of all the tests the brand runs
throughout the process.
Commercial: Yes, I'm told you can hear it,
so you know it's still ticking.
The lovely Timex ladies' waterproof watches
can certainly take a licking and keep on ticking.
Fabiana: Before the strap is put on,
the watch goes through a water-resistance test.
Each watch gets marked with a document
and a style number on its back,
so Timex can keep track of what collection the watch is from
if it needs repairs.
The watches must be inspected after being assembled.
I helped Dave during this part,
to make sure there weren't any scratches or markings,
that everything that needed to be on the watch was,
and that it was running properly.
Dave: So, we leave these on
so that we don't get fingerprints on the watches.
Fabiana: I'm already failing inspection.
OK. Let's see how our team did.
Dave: Mine says document No. 4. Yours should also.
Fabiana: I don't see where it says-
Oh, mine doesn't say it.
Dave: Oh. So we'll have to send that one
back in for marking.
Look at you go.
Fabiana: I've got a good eye.
The watchmaking process is almost done.
From there, the strap is attached to the watch face
in the finishing room.
Dave: So now you'll line up that small pin
into that small hole.
Fabiana: This reminds me of changing toilet paper.
Dave: Yes, it's the same kind of design.
Fabiana: The Timex watch is now ready to be shipped.
When it's all complete, the watch itself
is no bigger than a few inches,
but what goes into it are layers of intricately placed
and connected parts that perform a function
we've always needed: to tell us what time it is.