This Day, That Year

Item from April 17, 1986, in China Daily: After two years of falling sales, the State-run Hongqi Wrist Watch Factory in Shaanxi province has boosted production to meet market demand.

Located in the southern suburbs of Xi'an and established in 1970, the factory is the largest wristwatch producer in northwest China. Over the past 15 years, the factory has turned out more than 10 million "Butterfly" brand watches.

China's watch industry has expanded dramatically over the past decades with homegrown manufacturers reinventing themselves to compete with traditional powerhouses such as Switzerland and France.