MPB(TIMKEN SUPER PRECISION)

It all began with a tiny ball bearing that a New England inventor used in 1936 to replace a jewel in a family heirloom watch. Winslow Pierce didn’t just repair his father’s watch—he sparked an entire industry. Thanks to these miniature bearings, instruments can travel millions of miles into space and land gently on distant planets; dental handpieces can run at up to half a million RPM; and aircraft can navigate confidently in darkness and bad weather. Hundreds of devices worldwide use millions of such bearings every year.

Just three years after his breakthrough, Pierce led a group to found Miniature Precision Bearings, Inc. In 1941, the company opened its headquarters in Keene, New Hampshire, giving the young industry a powerful boost. Demand for aircraft instruments during World War II accelerated MPB’s growth; among the era’s key products was the Norden bombsight, widely regarded as a major technological achievement that improved the effectiveness of U.S. air forces.

During and after the war, MPB pioneered mass production of precision ball bearings while maintaining uncompromising quality. The Keene manufacturing base (Plant I) became a benchmark for accuracy and consistency.

Today, Timken Super Precision is a subsidiary of The Timken Company. This partnership strengthens our capabilities—enabling us to meet application demands with the highest quality products, manufactured with maximum efficiency.