It is important to understand that at the time of the founding of Wostep, America was losing its title as "world's largest watch producer" to the Soviet Union (mostly making poor-quality everyday watches). As American watch companies continued to slide into oblivion after the end of World War II, some were able to update by purchasing movements from Swiss companies, even establishing their own subsidiaries in Switzerland (e.g. Waltham Watch Company, Hamilton Watch Company, Benrus, Bulova), to keep them going another 10–20 years before folding completely in the U.S. It was this reason that the U.S. requested some sort of formalized training for its best watchmakers.