Some food for thought.
Just enclosing a picture of a 250 year old clock (pre industrial revolution) that I bought recently at an auction. It is built in my place of birth Eskilstuna around 1750-1760  or so, which in those days was just a little town. It is in original condition, both case and works, and runs like a clock should, on the minute.
 It has such a sweet frail chime, going off every hour, reminding me of how valuable and frail life is, minute by minute.
Eric Wasberg the maker lived between 1709-1779.
 
The interesting thing though is the combination of quality, management of technology, and technology that was available in a little town of maybe 1000-5000 persons in the middle of nowhere. Just remember there were no public schools in those days and no railroads. neither was Eskistuna any place of learning nor did it have a Cathedral. What else was being made in such a small place?
 
How many clocks could the guy make in a lifetime, and what was the size of his market.above all what was the rationale behind such an accurate timepiece? There were no trains to go on time.
 
Just a list of technologies used in manufacturing the clock.
    •     Wood carpentry
    •     Jacaranda veneer (tropical wood), Cook had not yet discovered Australia
    •     bronze casting of hands, front and side decoration
    •     Gold plating of said castings (electricity not yet invented)
    •     clockworks with milled wheels in bronze, steel-springs, bronze pendulum, signed and numbered.
    •     enamelled-iron plate front with time numbering and signature of the maker+production number.
It makes you reflect about our time and our current view on labour, labourmarket, technology and mass production.
By law the clock is not for export. Price at the auction US $ 1500:-

Philippe