The invention of the transistor in 1951 was the first step in the rapid development of the electronics industry worldwide. In 1960, the Integrated Circuit (IC) was invented and applied to industrial and commercial fields, further reinforcing the role of the electronics industry in economic development.

Dating back some 20 years, the electronics industry is now the second biggest in the Republic of China, as a result of cooperation between the government, research institutions and industrial and commercial companies. Though electronic watches have been produced in Taiwan for only five years, there are now more than 30 factories on the island, with annual production of 60 million pieces, 90 percent of which are exported. Intek Electronics Corp. was the first firm to manufacture electronic watches without any foreign investment. With annual exports worth to US$10 million, Intek, now the second largest electronics manufacturer in the ROC, produces quartz watches, Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) and quartz watch testers.

Improvements have been achieved in both materials and techniques in the electronics industry, and the ICs have become increasingly complex and varied. Today, the watches range from simple timepieces to the most sophisticated chrono-alarm-timer watches in men's and women's styles, all backed by a strict quality control system. Quartz resonators and batteries have been miniaturized and the Light Emitting Diode (LED) has been largely replaced by the LCD, which can be seen in the dark without the need to push buttons.

In the manufacturing process, Intek uses computer controlled automatic testers to check and rectify any defect in the module. The quartz watch must then go through several pressure tests to assure it is water and shock resistant, long-lasting and accurate. Prices range from NT$500 to NT$2,000 (US$13.30 to US$55) a piece, according to the different functions.

The most expensive and important component in a quartz watch are IC and LCD. Less than 1 centimeter square, the IC controls logic, oscillation, segments, and digits. It costs between US$1 and US$6, depending on its complexity, while the LCD costs US$1 on average.

The research and development department at Intek Electronics is staffed by Master's degree holders at the National Chiaotung University. One of the company's key products is a "quartz watch tester," which shows how many seconds a watch loses or gains in a month.

The Republic of China has become one of the major world suppliers of quartz watches. In the face of strong international competition, local companies will further introduce automated processes to lower costs and raise quality.

[Picture Caption]

Female employees engaged in "line bond" work which involves welding dozens of one thousandth of an inch diameter aluminum wires on 1-centimeter-square Integrated Circuit. The slightest mistake or miscalculation will make the IC worthless.

Clockwise from opposite: A display of quartz watches and modules; sophisticated and complicated equipment used to manufacture Liquid Crystal Displays.

Female employees engaged in "line bond" work which involves welding dozens of one thousandth of an inch diameter aluminum wires on 1-centimeter-square Integrated Circuit. The slightest mistake or miscalculation will make the IC worthless.

Clockwise from opposite: A display of quartz watches and modules; sophisticated and complicated equipment used to manufacture Liquid Crystal Displays.

Clockwise from opposite: A display of quartz watches and modules; sophisticated and complicated equipment used to manufacture Liquid Crystal Displays.

Clockwise from opposite: A display of quartz watches and modules; sophisticated and complicated equipment used to manufacture Liquid Crystal Displays.

Clockwise from opposite: A display of quartz watches and modules; sophisticated and complicated equipment used to manufacture Liquid Crystal Displays.