Description of Industries and Summary of Findings

INDUSTRY 3873, WATCHES, CLOCKS, WATCHCASES, AND PARTS

This industry is made up of establishments primarily engaged in
manufacturing clocks (including electric), watches, watchcases, mechanisms
for clockwork operated devices, and clock and watch parts.  This industry
includes establishments primarily engaged in assembling clocks and watches
from purchased movements and cases. Establishments primarily engaged in
manufacturing timeclocks are classified in industry 3579; those
manufacturing glass crystals are classified in industry 3231; and those
manufacturing plastics crystals are classified in industry 3089.

The 1992 definition of this industry is the same as that used in the 1987
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. The SIC number and title
also are the same.

In the 1992 Census of Manufactures, Industry 3873, Watches, Clocks,
Watchcases, and Parts, had employment of 7.6 thousand. The employment
figure was 36 percent below the 11.8 thousand reported in 1987.

The leading States in employment in 1992 were Georgia, Illinois, Michigan,
and New York. These same States were the leaders in 1987.

The total value of shipments for establishments classified in this industry
was $811.6 million.

Establishments in virtually all industries ship secondary products as well
as products primary to the industry in which they are classified and have
some miscellaneous receipts, such as resales and contract receipts.
Industry 3873 shipped $625.1 million of watches, clocks, watchcases, and
parts considered primary to the industry, $100.4 million of secondary
products, and had $86.0 million of miscellaneous receipts, resales, and
contract work. Thus, the ratio of primary products to the total of both
secondary and primary products shipped by establishments in this industry
was 86 percent (specialization ratio).  In 1987, the specialization ratio
was 95 percent.

Establishments in this industry also accounted for 95 percent of products
considered primary to the industry no matter where they were actually
produced (coverage ratio). In 1987, the coverage ratio was 94 percent.

The products primary to industry 3873, no matter in what industry they were
produced, appear in file MC92F6A and aggregate to $658.2 million. For
further explanation of specialization and coverage ratios, see file MC92F5B
and the appendixes.

The total cost of materials, services, and fuels and energy used by
establishments classified in the watches, clocks, watchcases, and parts
industry amounted to $382.0 million. Data on specific materials consumed
appear in file MC92F7.

Single-establishment companies in this industry with less than 5 employees
were excluded from the mail portion of the census. The data for these
establishments (and a small number of larger establishments whose reports
were not received at the time the data were tabulated) were obtained from
administrative records of other agencies or developed from industry
averages. These establishments accounted for 15 percent of the total value
of shipments.