Production capacity at Shizukuishi is 20,000 to 30,000 units a year. But while those facts and numbers would imply industrial production on a heroic scale, devoid of the human touch, that is the converse of the truth.
An explanation of the various finishing processes
Monthly statistics on the productivity of each craftsman and woman
Watch making at Shizukuishi is carefully and meticulously performed. Finish of the moving parts in the movement, functional as opposed to decorative finishing, is top notch: pinion teeth are polished and so are the pivots. Even the teeth of the escape wheel are polished. To my eye that is the same standard of care given to the moving parts in movements that qualify for the Geneva Seal.
Decorative finishing, on the other hand, is done mechanically, resulting in very precise and unemotional decoration. Striping and spotting for example are both done by a machine. The resulting ‘Tokyo stripes’ are perfectly formed and deep, almost engraved into the bridges.
Bridge before and after striping
Contrast that with the finishing of pivots which is done by hand, as is the polishing of the leaves of the pinion.
Below: Polishing a pinion
Above: Pinion before and after polishing
This message has been edited by SJX on 2011-02-05 22:39:30