THE NEW WATERBURY'S. WONDERFUL RECOKD. ipHE average newspaper render, who has I. noticed our advertisements from time to time often remarks, "What a pile of money those Waterbury fellows waste in advertising." and no doubt this is the view held by ninety-nine people out of every hundred. The initiated, however, know what a wonderful result theso advertiser merits have brought about. When the writer came to Mew Zealand with the Waterbury Watch, in 1887, and made the usual trade oalls, the wholesale dealers would have none of them ; one Punedin firm having about a hundred stowed away in a Dowling street cellar, quite as they stated unsaleable, becaase every one considered it infra dig to carry a nickel watch. Retail jewellers wore appealed to, but with no better result. The public will never take to a nickel watch said they, and if they did we could not sell them without lowering the status of our craft. The poeition was illogical. They handled nickel clocks, but could not be pursuaded to handle nickle watches. This result was general in New Zealand, and not until the advertisements began to appear, and the public showed their eagerness to obtain these watches could any denier bo induced to purchase them When a start was made the sale grew by leaps and bounds. Thousands are sold in each city in the colony, and the country stimulated by the "weeklies," began to pour in their orders. Shipment after shipment arrived, and waa at once absorbed, orders originally modest were doubled and trebled by cable, and yet more than half the year wo were without stock. Gradually our circle of distributors extended, and many fiims finding that a regular " nickel age," had set in, hunted the markets of Europe and America for substitutes. Each mail brought small parcels of metal watches equally handsome in appearance, which were offered to the trade as fully equal to the Waterbury, and on which double the profit nould be made. They equalled the Waterbury in outward finish only, not as timekeepers; like the man who fell out of the balloon, they were not in it. Still the inducement of excessive profits was potent, and many firms who ought to have known better became parties to the deception, and backed up with their influence the representations of the makers abroad who had nothing to lose, and were not worth powder and shot, did they imitate the Waterbury never so closely. In this manner, and aided by our shortness of supply many spurious imitations were foisted upon tbe public and gained a temporary footing. Our boxes were at first imitated," and Continental watches were cased, so that the outward resemblance was great. Many purchasers wore so deceived, and have urged us several times to take proceedings against the parties to the fraud. Sufficient legal evidence of sale and identity have never been forthcoming, and all we could do was to watch '' suspects," and wait our opportunity. We place our monogram WWC on the face of every watch, and buyers should see that it ia there, otherwise they are being " rooked." Gradually the public become more wide awake. Our advertisements were too far reaching, and having initially created the demand, we were also able by advertising to minimise he chance of deception. Storekeepers, in the first place not in the trade, gradually began to consider the Waterbury a first staple. Jewellers saw that their original idea of the views of the public had been refuted by results, and the larger and more respectable who were most in touch with the people overcame their early prejudice and lesolved to supply what their customers required. Judges, Bankers, Merchants, Clergy, and the other components of our population called for the Waterbury with no uncertain sound. History repeats itself. In America where the TVarerbury sales were originally confined to Clothiers and Booksellers, nearly 40,000 Jewellers are now purchasing direct from the Company, and aro selling no other " choap watches.'! Their Swiss and Home counterfeits have been sent to Coventry. This is the Waterbury age. In Great Britain the legitimate trade was. equally apathetic, and not until close on OJS'E MILLION WATERBURYSad been sold by the ajreat railway booksellers, W. BE. Smith and Sons, and others did they chip in. However, to return to New Zealand, the reaction in favor of the Waterburye was decided as its former opposition was spirited and determined. We have sold during the ant eight months of the current year more Waterburys than in any previous ysar of our trade. Orders flowed in by telegraph and telephone, by mail and by messenger, aad many of tho public who have been waiting months for their watches as well as the dealers are in a position to verify this statement. So far as actual figures go the total salca to dates are 84,700 WATCHES, and tho population of the colony at the last census was 620,359. This gives more than one Waterbury to every eight natives and settlers, young and old, males and females in the colony, and is a result totally unprecedented. "Ah, but how do we know I it is true t , " says a reader, and for purposes of corroboration we annex from four only of the thirty-two firms wl\ o are at present acting as our dlatributv fl g agents, who certify personally to the aaJ c of over 3-1,500 watches. 11,952 WATCHES. WiLLiEQioH, 24th October, 1891. I have examined the book c 'and f in d that eighty-lamas Qr M k (r jqua i to 11,'J02) V/aterbury Washes have been sent out of Messrs Kenv, )t horno, Prosser and Co. s Wellington w jro house. There has been > c ry few con.plaints, and every satisfactory j s expressed that such can bo procured at co small n cost.
All the la s t parcel of Gold Watches have been sold, and there is quite a number of orders on hand for them in the next shipment to arrive. ■ (SigDed) OiiLiWDO Kemptiiobne, Managei. 03G0 WATCHES. Auckland, 25th September, 1851. We have examined our books and find that wo havo sold 81X1Y-FIVE (JKOSS or 0360) Waterbury Watchua. We have had no complaint of any importance, and our customers generally have expressed themselves in terras of unqualified approval, —Yours faithfully, E. PoßlEft & Co. 4320 WATCHES. Ciiß'.sTciiuiiCE, 20th September, 1891. We t'.ave much pleasure in stating'thai our experience with the Waterbury Watch has b'jen most satisfactory. Wo anticipated a 'l Sf/rts of trouble Irom purchasers treating a tv/ jtch as an ordinary article of trade, bui oar fears proved groundless. Out of 3GC ■!•;< /ZEN (or 4320/ sold by us, very trifling oo mplaint has been received. Tho almost v jianimous opiniou is, that for strength and correct timekeeping tho Waterbury ie unsurpassed.—Yours faithfully, Edwaed Kujsojb & Scaa. 9000 WATCHES. DuKEMN, 10th Nove-obur, ISOI. Wo have examined our Oooku, and find wo havo sold cloho ou 0000 Waterburys, and tho demand for still keeps up. We hiivo much pVsasuro in testifying to the excellent charge l " which these watches have earned for themaolvea an timekeepers, nnd cotmiderA'K the large number sold we havo rem^ Kil Wy few brought in for repairs,—You" truly, JSkw Zkaiand Haedwaee Co., Ltd. (Per X. Black, Managor.) Tho remaining twenty-eight firms make up the balance of ealed. Wo attribute this large turn over to tho undeniable excellency of tho Waterbury aa a timekeeper, and its intelligent appreciation by the public, who would never have itnowuof ita existence , but for tho value of the press ue an advGrtitiim' medium. Tho new short-wind, solid silver, andgoldfilled Waterburys have arrived, and any person requiring the correct time in an intrinsic setting c;m obtain tho keyless V/uterbury, jewelled movements, in either ladies' or gentlemen's bizo for from 22b Cd to 635. The nickel Savorites, v/ith improved movements, remain at 22s 6d and 30s, and thn long-wind pioneer series is unaltered at los Gd. Call and see tho new watches before purchasing other Christmas and New Year's presents.
TUNING AND EEPAIJSING. MB J. W. EICH'AEDSON, Tuner and Kepairor of Pianos and Organs, of Messrs Milner and rhompnou, Napier, thoroughly understands the Repairing of any part of tho Instrument. Old Pianos renovated and itiado almost equal to new. A reduction made for Y&arly -Tuning-, also Schools and Churches. Country di&tricta visited periodically. Orders received at Carlvlo street, Kapior l privato address), or the above firm. AKOTHEii SHIPMENT oi? moaK MLW-SHAPLI> CUI-S & SAUCERS, i. , "! equal to China aim half the Price; is Ud the halii- dozen; Plated, Eov/ls, Juge) io., to matoh ; iiets of same, contaiuin;' z'j, .-'ieces, 7s 3d. NOVELTY DEPOT. \j that the Summer is over, everyone BhouM Jj.'ivo v. pair of J. U. I-alton's ixtra, 'ixoiiMt^i
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Bibliographic details
Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6412, 24 March 1892, Page 4
Word Count
1,448Page 4 Advertisements Column 2 Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6412, 24 March 1892, Page 4
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