The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 159

Chapter 159: A Revolutionary Production Model

In fact, Joseph had already begun laying the groundwork to promote ready-made clothing even before this fashion week began.

For instance, he gave specific instructions to the fashion week’s designers: avoid the common silhouettes of the time that emphasized distinct chest, waist, and hip proportions. Instead, he encouraged designs with smooth transitions around the waist.

This was because garments emphasizing the chest, waist, and hips—especially dresses—required extremely precise measurements. Even two people of similar height and weight could be unable to wear the same outfit if there was even a minor difference in their chest-to-waist ratio.

By transitioning to designs with smoother lines, standardized sizes could be implemented, allowing for the production of identical clothing for people with similar body types.

It just so happened that French designers at the time were seeking inspiration for this season’s fashion. They were highly appreciative of this somewhat “retro” style—which bore some resemblance to the long gowns of ancient Rome—and many turned to creating fashion with smooth waists.

Of course, the fact that the proposer of this design trend was the Crown Prince himself played a significant role. After all, European fashion followed France, French fashion followed Paris, and Parisian fashion looked to the royal family.

Subsequently, Joseph held discussions with members of the Lyon Textile Guild to draft preliminary size standards for ready-made clothing. For now, these were divided into five sizes for men and women: very small, small, medium, large, and very large. He also published the detailed specifications for each size.

After this fashion week ended, Joseph planned to instruct the textile guild to further refine the size standards and promote them across all of France.

The next step was figuring out how to expand ready-made clothing production and continuously lower costs.

When the cost of ready-made clothing dropped to a level affordable for the general public, many individuals who cared more about style and were less concerned about tailoring would likely transition from custom-made clothing to purchasing ready-made garments.

Joseph also understood that this would be a challenging process. It would require industrial policies to support the initiative, the adoption of new textile machines, and the use of steam engines for power.

Additionally, the issue of land-owning nobles needed to be addressed. Feudal privileges had to be abolished, and a significant number of tenant farmers needed to be freed to provide industrial labor.

“This is difficult…” Joseph muttered with a wry smile and a sigh.

…

“Congratulations, my dear Mr. Walsh!”

On the eastern side of the Tuileries Palace Gardens, in front of a partially constructed villa, a sales manager solemnly handed a key and the property deed to Walsh in the presence of over ten tall and handsome sales staff.

“From this moment forward, you are officially the distinguished owner of a ‘Royal Garden’ property! From now on, your greatest trouble will probably be fending off the envious gazes coming your way.”

Cheerful music immediately filled the air. Beautiful young women approached to present Walsh with flowers, followed by a priest blessing the new home with prayers.

The sense of ceremony was overwhelming, attracting many passersby to stop and watch.

Yes, Mr. Walsh had ultimately succumbed to temptation and spent 2,050 pounds to buy a property in the Royal Garden.

The main reason for his decision was intelligence he had received through his own channels: France was about to vigorously develop its ready-made clothing industry, which would significantly increase demand for wool textiles.

As a wool merchant, buying a house in Paris to expand his business in France seemed like a perfect decision.

Another compelling reason was that the value of properties in the Royal Garden was rising rapidly.

The house he purchased had been worth 50,000 livres—approximately 2,000 pounds—just three days earlier. Within days, its price had risen to 2,050 pounds.

This made him deeply regret his hesitation over the past few days.

When he heard the sales staff mention that prices would continue to rise, he couldn’t hold back any longer and immediately decided to buy the house!

Mrs. Walsh, meanwhile, was overjoyed. From the moment she arrived in Paris, she had fallen completely in love with the city—clean, comfortable, tidy, brimming with fashionable allure, and equipped with convenient public carriages.

And let’s not forget the reassuring public safety! The police patrolling the streets of Paris were all impeccably dressed and dignified. Not only did they refrain from extorting foreigners or merchants, but they also acted swiftly to arrest thieves and robbers. In London, by contrast, the police often vanished unless the victim was an aristocrat of standing.

Of course, Mrs. Walsh was unaware that just a few months ago, Parisian police were no different from their British counterparts. The transformation was the result of police reforms led by the Crown Prince.

Last night, Mrs. Walsh had written a letter to her beloved son in London, urging him to bring his fiancée to Paris for a holiday. She was certain the experience would provide them with plenty to boast about in future social gatherings.

…

March 19, 1788.

The Paris Fashion Week, which had captivated all of Europe, finally drew to a close. The grand event left behind memories of endless revelry and the mesmerizing opulence of the Tuileries Palace.

In its wake, the Paris Fashion Art Exhibition officially opened.

This exhibition was primarily a showcase for French designers. Only by establishing their reputations could Parisian fashion gain global acceptance.

Over the five-day exhibition, fashion designers from across Europe would be invited to compete for the title of Best Designer of the Year and receive the prestigious “Golden Feather Award.”

On the same day, another significant yet lesser-known event took place.

The “Royal Armory of France” completed all preparations and officially commenced production.

Southeast of the Versailles Palace square, beyond a grove of plane trees, lay a courtyard about 100 meters square surrounded by a stone wall. Inside, there was a crucible furnace for smelting iron and a dozen wooden workshops of varying sizes.

At this moment, Joseph stood in front of the courtyard gate, where a stone monument inscribed with “Royal Armory” was erected. He bowed his head respectfully as Louis XVI departed.

Moments earlier, he had accompanied the King at the factory’s inauguration ceremony. His father was so delighted that he gave a rare public speech lasting as long as five sentences—and barely stumbled over his words.

This was understandable, as the factory was built with his investments, produced weapons he had designed, and was staffed primarily with craftsmen he had trained. It was only natural for the King to be pleased.

After bidding his father farewell, Joseph turned to the two core managers of the armory, ready to get down to business.

“Mr. Germain, what is the current production capacity?”

An elderly man with a flat nose, prominent eye bags, and piercing small eyes immediately bowed and replied:

“Your Highness, at present, we can produce three Fire Cap Guns per day. However, this will soon increase to four.”

The armory currently produced only one product: the Auguste 1788 Fire Cap Gun.

Upon hearing this, Joseph frowned deeply. Producing four guns per day equated to 120 per month—barely enough to equip an infantry regiment in a year…

After conducting a field inspection, Joseph discovered that neither the Palace of Versailles nor the entirety of Paris had a sufficient supporting industry for weapon production. For instance, industries such as iron smelting, coarse wood processing, screws, and belts were incapable of providing adequate supplies. Consequently, he decided to build only a "demonstration factory" near the Palace of Versailles, aimed at training artisans and carrying out small-scale production. Meanwhile, a larger arsenal was under construction in Saint-Étienne, scheduled for completion next month.

However, even as a "demonstration factory," its output was remarkably low.

As Joseph walked into the courtyard with two supervisors, he tilted his head and asked:
"Mr. Germain, can production be increased in a short time? For instance... ten guns per day?"

This Mr. Germain, Louis XVI's locksmithing instructor and the current technical supervisor of the arsenal, immediately shook his head:
"Your Highness, you see, His Majesty has hardly rested this past month and only managed to train four craftsmen to master the manufacturing process for Fire Cap Guns. Oh, that includes myself."

Germain himself had participated in the development of the Fire Cap Gun and required no additional training.

"Currently, the four of us are still busy training apprentices, working late into the night, and even then, we can only produce one gun per day."

What Germain omitted was that the gun barrels for the Fire Cap Guns were custom-ordered rough blanks from Charleville; without them, they wouldn’t even manage one gun per day.

Joseph frowned and asked in surprise:
"Why not involve the other craftsmen in the manufacturing process, with the four of you supervising and guiding them?"

Louis XVI had transferred 16 senior gunsmiths and over 50 mid- and lower-level craftsmen to the arsenal. If all of them were utilized, the production capacity wouldn’t be so dismal.

Germain responded awkwardly:
"Your Highness, the Fire Cap Gun's craftsmanship differs significantly from that of the flintlock gun, especially in the barrel and lock mechanisms. Each step must be mastered and repeatedly practiced to produce a qualified gun."

Joseph immediately noticed a flaw in Germain’s reasoning:
"So, apart from the barrel and lock mechanisms, the rest of the process is similar to that of the flintlock gun?"

"Well... yes."

"In that case, the four of you can focus on making the barrels and lock mechanisms, while the others handle the remaining parts. These can then be assembled together. Wouldn't that greatly increase the production speed?"

"Your Highness, that’s probably impossible." Before Germain could respond, a short, middle-aged man with brown curly hair standing beside him interjected:
"Each craftsman has unique technical habits and characteristics. Only the parts they make themselves can fit together perfectly."

Germain quickly nodded in agreement and added:
"Mr. Martinièree is correct. Even an apprentice cannot guarantee their parts will match exactly with their master's."

Joseph sighed and rubbed his forehead. He had overlooked the fact that this was still the age of craftsmanship, where the concept of standardized parts was nonexistent. The idea of standardized components wouldn’t emerge until the early 19th century, and it would take another two decades to be practically applied in production...

As for assembly-line production, which required standardized parts as a prerequisite, that was a distant dream.

He sighed deeply and addressed the manager and technical supervisor in front of him:
"Then let’s work on changing that. There is a method of production called part standardization."

The two supervisors exchanged a look, both puzzled:
"Part standardization?"

"Exactly," Joseph nodded. "In simple terms, when different craftsmen produce the same firearm, they must strictly adhere to predetermined component standards.

"From shape, materials, and dimensions, every aspect must fall within a tolerance range. Oh, I’ll explain what tolerance means in a moment.

"This ensures that parts produced by anyone can be freely interchangeable."

"How is that even possible?!" Germain and Martinièree exclaimed in unison.

Joseph led them into the office, gesturing for them to sit down before continuing solemnly:
"It is absolutely achievable. Of course, it requires some methods. First, we must create more precise measuring tools."

Germain immediately responded:
"Do you mean tools like micrometers?"

Joseph nodded:
"Precisely. Then, you must lead the best craftsmen to draft production standards for Fire Cap Guns, including Manufacturing Process Standards, Product Implementation Standards, and Quality Control Standards. Even the placement of tools should ideally follow a uniform standard."

"Oh, I’ll have someone write these standards into detailed documents for you later," Joseph continued. "Once the standards are set, the craftsmen will need unified training.

"Everyone must use the same tools and measurement methods and follow the standard documents step by step. No deviations are allowed at any point.

"Once the parts are completed, they’ll be inspected by a dedicated quality control team. If a part exceeds the tolerance range, it will be scrapped.

"This way, the parts produced will be nearly identical in terms of material and dimensions. Even a non-technical worker could then assemble them into a functional firearm."

The two supervisors were astonished. The Crown Prince’s proposal sounded far-fetched, yet upon reflection, it seemed entirely feasible.

If this method were implemented, only a small number of craftsmen familiar with the entire process would be needed to establish the standards, while the others would merely need to execute them step by step.

It was easy to imagine how much faster production would become, and how much simpler it would be to train craftsmen!

The Crown Prince truly lived up to the title Son of God! How could he conceive such a brilliant idea?

Joseph further explained the concepts of "tolerance" and "quality control" to them, concluding with:
"Craftsmen may not easily accept this new production model. In the early stages of implementation, output may even decline, but if we persevere, production efficiency will undoubtedly increase significantly.

"During this period, I’ll work with you to establish all the production standards and help train the craftsmen."

Joseph suddenly thought that this approach could also be applied to machine tool factories, steam engine factories, and other industries. Perhaps even national-level product standards could be introduced.

However, this would involve the standardization of measurement units.

At present, the units used to measure length, weight, and so forth varied widely across France. Even for a unit like the "meter," craftsmen in northern and southern France would measure completely different lengths.

Of course, the situation was even worse in other European countries.

And yet, for industrialization at the national level, standardizing measurement units was the bare minimum requirement...

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