\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage[graphics, active, tightpage]{preview}
\PreviewEnvironment{tikzpicture}
\usepackage{ngerman}

%!tikz preamble begin
\newcommand\colA{-7.5}
\newcommand\colB{-5}
\newcommand\colC{-2.5}
\newcommand\colD{0}
\newcommand\colE{2.5}
\newcommand\colF{5}

\newcommand\Height{2.5}% cm per band
\newcommand\Band{*\Height/-10}
\newcommand\Bum{\Band}% µm 0..1000
\newcommand\Bmm{\Band-1*\Height}% mm 1..10
\newcommand\Bcm{\Band-2*\Height}% cm 1..10
\newcommand\Bdm{\Band-3*\Height}% dm 1..10
\newcommand\Bm{\Band-4*\Height}% m  1..10
\newcommand\Bdam{\Band-5*\Height}% Dm 1..10
\newcommand\Bhm{\Band-6*\Height}% Hm 1..10
\newcommand\Bkm{\Band-7*\Height}% Km 1..10
\newcommand\inch{*2.54}
\newcommand\yard{*0.9144}
%!tikz preamble end


\begin{document}
%!tikz source begin
\begin{tikzpicture}

\tikzset{unit/.style={rectangle,draw=black!50,fill=white!20},every node/.style={fill=white!20}};

\draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bum) rectangle (\colF,10\Bum); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bum) {$\mu$m};
\draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bmm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bmm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bmm) {mm};
\draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bcm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bcm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bcm) {cm};
\draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bdm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bdm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bdm) {dm};
\draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bm) {m};
\draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bdam) rectangle (\colF,10\Bdam); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bdam) {dam};
\draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bhm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bhm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bhm) {hm};
\draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bkm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bkm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bkm) {km};

\node[unit] (twip) at (\colC,5/72\inch\Bum) {twip};
\node[unit] (point) at (\colB,100/72\inch\Bum) {point};
\node[unit] (pica) at (\colB,25.4/6\Bmm) {pica};

\node[unit] (line) at (\colC,25.4/12\Bmm) {line};

\node[unit] (poppyseed) at (\colE,25.4/12\Bmm) {poppyseed};
\node[unit] (barleycorn) at (\colE,25.4/3\Bmm) {barleycorn};

\node[unit] (inch) at (\colD,2.54\Bcm) {inch};
\node[unit] (foot) at (\colD,3.048\Bdm) {foot};
\node[unit] (yard) at (\colD,9.144\Bdm) {yard};

\node[unit] (stick) at (\colE,2\inch\Bcm) {stick};
\node[unit] (nail) at (\colA,100\yard/16\Bcm) {nail};

\node[unit] (finger) at (\colC,7/8\inch\Bcm) {finger};

\node[unit] (digit) at (\colB,3/4\inch\Bcm) {digit};
\node[unit] (palm) at (\colB,3\inch\Bcm) {palm};
\node[unit] (hand) at (\colE,0.4\inch\Bdm) {hand};
\node[unit] (shaftment) at (\colC,0.6\inch\Bdm) {shaftment};
\node[unit] (span) at (\colA,0.9\inch\Bdm) {span};

\node[unit] (cubit) at (\colB,1.8\inch\Bdm) {cubit};
\node[unit] (ell) at (\colA,0.45\inch\Bm) {ell};

\node[unit] (skein) at (\colA,1.2\yard\Bhm) {skein};
\node[unit] (spindle) at (\colA,12\yard\Bkm) {spindle};

\node[unit] (pace) at (\colC,3\inch\Bdm) {pace};
\node[unit] (grade) at (\colB,.6\inch\Bm) {grade, step};
\node[unit] (mileRoman) at (\colB,.6\inch\Bkm) {Roman mile};

\node[unit] (rope) at (\colB,2.4\inch\Bm) {rope};

\node[unit] (fathom) at (\colE,2\yard\Bm) {fathom};
\node[unit] (shackle) at (\colE,3\yard\Bdam) {shackle};
\node[unit] (cable) at (\colE,2\yard\Bhm) {cable};
\node[unit] (milenautic) at (\colE,.608*1.2\inch\Bkm) {nautical mile};
\node[unit] (league) at (\colC,.608*3.6\inch\Bkm) {league};

\node[unit] (link) at (\colB,198/250\inch\Bdm) {link};
\node[unit] (rod) at (\colC,1.98\inch\Bm) {\parbox{1.8cm}{rod, pole, perch}};
\node[unit] (chainGunter) at (\colC,.792\inch\Bdam) {\parbox{1.8cm}{Gunter's chain}};

\node[unit] (chainRamsden) at (\colB,1.2\inch\Bdam) {\parbox{2cm}{Ramsden's chain}};

\node[unit] (furlong) at (\colC,2.2\yard\Bhm) {furlong};
\node[unit] (milestatute) at (\colD,1.76\yard\Bkm) {mile};%statute mile

%typography
\draw [->] (twip) -- node{20} (point);
\draw [->] (point) -- node{12} (pica);
\draw [->] (pica) -- node{6} (inch);

\draw [->] (point) -- node{6} (line);

\draw (line) -- node{1} (poppyseed);% =

\draw [->] (line) -- node{12} (inch);
\draw [->] (poppyseed) -- node{4} (barleycorn);
\draw [->] (barleycorn) -- node{3} (inch);
 
\draw [->] (inch) -- node{$\frac78$} (finger);
\draw [->] (point) -- node{63} (finger);% 7/8in = 21/2line = 63pt

\draw [->] (grade) -- node{4} (rope);
\draw [->] (rope) -- node{5} (chainRamsden);
 
% Textile
\draw [->] (ell) -- node{96} (skein);
\draw [->] (skein) -- node{120} (spindle);
 
\draw [->] (inch) -- node{2} (stick);
\draw [->] (stick) -- node{2} (hand);
\draw [->] (digit) -- node{4} (palm);
\draw [->] (inch) -- node{3} (palm);
\draw [->] (digit) -- node{3} (nail);
\draw [->] (nail) -- node{4} (span);
\draw [->] (palm) -- node{2} (shaftment);
\draw [->] (palm) -- node{3} (span);
 
\draw [->,thick] (inch) -- node{12} (foot);
\draw [->] (hand) -- node{3} (foot);
\draw [->] (shaftment) -- node{2} (foot);
\draw [->] (shaftment) -- node{3} (cubit);
\draw [->] (span) -- node{2} (cubit);
\draw [->] (span) -- node{5} (ell);
 
\draw [->,thick] (foot) -- node{3} (yard);
%\draw [->] (cubit) -- node{2} (yard);
\draw [->] (cubit) .. controls (.5\colC+.5\colD,6\Bdm) .. node{2} (yard);
 
% Military, Roman
%\draw [->] (foot) -- node{5} (grade);
\draw [->] (shaftment) -- node{5} (pace);
%\draw [->] (foot) -- node{$2\frac12$} (pace);
\draw [->] (pace) .. controls (\colB,8\Bdm) .. node{2} (grade);
%\draw [->] (grade) -- node{1000} (mileRoman);
 
%\draw [->] (foot) -- node{6} (fathom);
\draw [->] (yard) -- node{2} (fathom);

\draw [->,thick] (yard) -- node{1760} (milestatute);
 
\draw [->] (cubit) -- node{11} (rod);
 
\draw [->] (fathom) -- node{11} (chainGunter);
\draw [->] (rod) -- node{4} (chainGunter);
\draw [->] (link) .. controls (\colC,1.5\Bm) .. node{25} (rod);
\draw [->] (chainGunter) -- node{10} (furlong);
\draw [->] (furlong) -- node{8} (milestatute);
\draw [->] (chainRamsden) -- node{50} (mileRoman);
 
\draw [->] (milenautic) -- node{3} (league);
 
%nautic
\draw [->] (fathom) -- node{15} (shackle);
\draw [->] (fathom) .. controls (.25*\colE,3\Bdam) .. node{100} (cable);
\draw [->] (cable) -- node{10} (milenautic);
\draw [->] (foot) .. controls (\colF,3\Bm) .. node{6080} (milenautic);

\end{tikzpicture}
%!tikz source end

\end{document}