Hugo Schmidt manufactured jewelers' and watchmakers' supplies, including lathe treadles, until 1889 or '90. The Chicago Watch Tool Co. was incorporated in October 1890 to take over his business. Schmidt became a traveling salesman for Swartchild & Co., who were a dealer for Chicago Watch Tool Co. Chicago Watch Tool Co. made a range of tools aimed at watchmakers. Of interest to this Vintage Machinery site is a jewelers' buffing lathe, which is an arbor on a small pedestal that could be driven with a treadle or a small electric motor. In 1895 the Chicago Watch Tool Co. had 15 employees. By 1906 they were down to just five employees but limped along for at least another decade before disappearing.

Information Sources

• 1890-11-01 The National Corporation Reporter, page 153, lists new corporations including "Chicago Watch Tool Co., Chicago; $10,000. Manufacture tools, etc. Oct. 22."
• 1890 Seeger and Guernsey's Cyclopaedia of the Manufactures and Products of the United States—New York lists "Chicago Watch Tool Co., 42 Madison St., Chicago, Ill." as a provider of Watch Tools.
• Text ad in 1893-03-08 The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review, page 35: "Chicago Watch Tool Co. / Manufacturers of Jewelers' Machinery, Watch Makers' and Jewelers' Tools Etc. / Special Machines / Tools Made to Order / 52 Madison Street / Chicago"
• 1893-12-27 The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review, page 12. "Hugo Schmidt, for four years with Swartchild & Co., parts with the house Jan. 1 to engage as traveler in the western states for Max Meyer & Bro. Co. of Omaha, Neb."
• Seen on eBay: a full-page 1893 ad for Chicago Watch Tool Co., 52 Madison st., Chicago, showing a couple of treadle mechanisms ("No. 5 Foot Wheel" and "No. 7 Foot Wheel"), staking tools, and a couple of watch signs.
• 1895-02-15 The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review lists this firm among Chicago Tool Manufacturers and Dealers.
• 1895 Annual Report of the Chief State Factory Inspector of Illinois lists "Chicago Watch Tool Co. / [address] 125-127 E. Indiana st. / [branch of industry] Jewlers' machines and tools / [females under 16 years] 0 / [males under 16] 1 / [females over 16] 1 [males over 16 years] 14 / [total number of employees] 15".
• 1897 The Railroad, Telegraph, Electric and Steamship Builders' Directory lists "Chicago Watch Tool Co., 234 Pine st., Chicago, Ill." as a provider of Screw Drivers and of Countershafts.
• 1903 book, The Watchmakers' Lathe, by Ward L. Goodrich, page 251-252.

  Hugo Schmidt, predecessor of the Chicago Watch Tool Co., was the first to apply ball bearings to the foot wheel, but made the mistake of selecting a 60-pound wheel for his experiment. He exhibited the new wheel to the trade, and it met with the objection that it "ran tool easily, so that it could not be stopped properly." He, therefore, discarded the bearings as worthless. Other manufacturers took up the idea, applied it to 30-pound and 40-pound wheels, and it proved a grand success, so that it is now generally made on all the better wheels.

• 1906 Annual Report of the Chief State Factory Inspector of Illinois lists "Chicago Watch Tool Co. / [address] 673 Grand av. / [branch of industry] Tools / [do they manufacture] Yes / [females over 16 years] 1 / [males over 16 years] 4 / [total number of employees] 5".
• 1907 The Rainbow of the Delta Tau Delta (volume 30, page 135). "'05—Brother A. E. Seyl is still in the city with the Chicago Watch Tool Company."
• 1910 Hendricks' Commercial Register of the United States lists this firm among Chicago "Machinists and Founders": "Chicago Watch Tool Co., 1956 Grand av".
• May 1912 Electrical Record lists this firm as a supplier of watch signs.