View source for Gillette Mach3

{{short description|Line of razors produced by Gillette}}
{{Infobox product
| title            = Gillette Mach3
| image            = Gillette Mach3 razor from Indonesia, 2015-08-03.jpg
| image_size       = 250
| alt              = A Gillette Mach3 razor handle with a blade cartridge attached
| caption          = 
| type             = [[Safety razor|Cartridge safety razor]]
| inventor         = 
| inception        = {{Start date and age|1998|06}}
| manufacturer     = [[Procter & Gamble]]
| available        = Yes
| current supplier = 
| last production  = 
| models           = {{Unbulleted list|Mach3|Mach3 Turbo|M3Power|Mach3 Sensitive|Mach3 Start{{efn|the razor is known in Latin America as 
'''Gillette Mach 3 Aqua Grip'''.}}|Mach3 Disposable|Mach3 Body{{efn|in Brazil the razor is known as '''Gillette Mach 3 Corpo''' in Brazilian Portuguese and in Latin America is known as '''Gillette Mach 3 Cuerpo''' in Spanish.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cornershopapp.com/amp/es-cl/products/3so7q-gillette-maquina-de-afeitar-recargable-mach3-cuerpo-1-u | title=Where to buy Máquina de afeitar recargable Mach3 cuerpo }}</ref>}}}}
| website          = 
| notes            = 
}}

The '''Gillette Mach3''' ({{IPAc-en|m|æ|k|ˈ|θ|r|iː}} {{respell|mak|THREE}}<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqgP7Ti0r4A&t=29s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/yqgP7Ti0r4A |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Gillette Mach 3 commercial (1999)|date=2013-05-21|author=|first=|type=|language=|publisher=YouTube|time=0:29|accessdate=February 9, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0RhvQOp7qs&t=8s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/S0RhvQOp7qs |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Gillette MACH3 {{pipe}} 5 Reasons To Upgrade|date=January 22, 2018|publisher=Gillette, via YouTube|time=0:08|accessdate=2018-02-09}}{{cbignore}}</ref> or {{IPAc-en|m|ɑː|k|ˈ|θ|r|iː}} {{respell|mahk|THREE}}<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7dDy/gillette-mach3-sensitive-sensitive-skin|title=Gillette MACH3 Sensitive TV Commercial, 'Sensitive Skin'|date=2013-07-03|publisher=Gillette|work=iSpot.tv|time=0:08|accessdate=2018-02-08}}</ref>) is a line of [[razor]]s produced by [[Gillette (brand)|Gillette]].

==Production==
Prior to the announcement, Gillette built plywood walls of stone around the production lines in its factory in Boston, in order to keep it a secret from many of its own employees.<ref name="meyers-1998"/> Gillette said its manufacturing plant was capable of producing 250 cartridges per minute.<ref name="francis-1998"/>

=== Trade secret theft ===
Steven Davis, a process controls engineer working for a Gillette subcontractor that designed the Mach3, stole information about the Mach3 and faxed it to Gillette's competitors, [[Warner-Lambert]], [[Société Bic|Bic]], and American Safety Razor.<ref name="prisonshave" /> Davis pleaded guilty to five counts of stealing Gillette's trade secrets in January 1998.<ref name="prisonshave" /> Davis was sentenced to 27 months in prison.<ref name="fbi-espionage" /> Davis said he committed the crime because he was angry at his boss.<ref name="fbi-espionage" />

==Announcement and introduction==
Gillette announced the Mach3 razor on April 14, 1998,<ref name="ap1998"/> following more than $750 million in [[Research and development|R&D]].<ref name="boston-razorwar"/>

Gillette budgeted $300 million for a two-year advertising campaign for the Mach3 razor.<ref name="ap1998"/><ref name="ap-layoff"/> Gillette marketed the three blade design as allowing for a [[Shaving|shave]] with less pressure to the skin and with fewer strokes, thereby reducing skin irritation. The Mach3 razor was released in North America during the last week of June 1998.<ref name="ap-earnings-1998"/> It was first sold in Europe in September 1998.<ref name="cnn-mach3launch"/>

{{Multiple images
|direction=vertical
|image1=Clip for cartridge of Gillette Mach3 razor, 2015-08-03.jpg
|image2=Cartridge for Gillette Mach3 razor, 2015-08-03.jpg
|footer=The Gillette Mach3 cartridge attachment mechanism (top) and a blade cartridge (bottom).
}}

==References==
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="prisonshave">"Prison Shave". ''The Australian''. May 1, 1998. p. 33.</ref>

<ref name="fbi-espionage">Lowry, Tom (May 28, 1998). "FBI Joins Firms to Fight Espionage". ''USA Today''. p. 1B.</ref>

<ref name="ap1998">"Gillette unveils three-bladed razor". ''Associated Press''. April 14, 1998.</ref>

<ref name="boston-razorwar">{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2003/08/31/the_war_of_the_razors/|title=The war of the razors|accessdate=May 28, 2007|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=August 2003|first=Naomi|last=Aoki}}</ref>

<ref name="meyers-1998">Meyers, Todd (April 21, 1998). "Gillette paves way for first class shave". ''Charleston Gazette'' (Charleston, West Virginia). p. P1D.</ref>

<ref name="francis-1998">Francis, David (July 1, 1998). "Economics Of Whisker Removal". ''Christian Science Monitor''. p. 1.</ref>

<ref name="ap-layoff">Estrin, Robin (September 28, 1998). "Gillette to lay off 4,700 workers as part of reorganization". ''Associated Press''.</ref>

<ref name="ap-earnings-1998">"Gillette Earnings Up 11 Percent". ''Associated Press''. July 16, 1998.</ref>
<ref name="cnn-mach3launch">"[https://money.cnn.com/1998/04/14/companies/gillette/ Gillette sets Mach3 launch]". ''CNN Money''. CNN. April 14, 1998. Retrieved September 25, 2017.</ref>

}}
{{Notelist}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline|Gillette Mach3}}

{{Procter & Gamble}}

[[Category:Procter & Gamble brands]]
[[Category:Gillette]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1998]]
[[Category:Personal care brands]]