THE NEW WATERBURYS.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 15, Issue 1181, 3 May 1892, Page 4

THE NEW WATERBURYS.

A WONDERFUL "RECORD. The average newspaper reader, who has 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 theße advertisements have brought about. When the writer came to Now Zealand with the Waterbury Watch in 1887, and made the usual trade calls, the wholesale dealers would have none of them ; one Dun edin firm having about a hundred stowed away in a Dowling street cellar, quite, as they stated, unsaleable, because every ono considered it infra dig to carry a nickel watch. Retail jeweUera were appealed to, but with no better result. The public will never take to a nickel watoh, eaid thoy, and if they did we couid not soil them without owering the status of our craft. This position was illogical. They handled niokol I clookß, but could not be persuaded to handle nickel watches. This result was general in [New Zealand, and not until the advertisements began to appeay, and the publio showed their eagerness to obtain these watches could any dealer be induced to purchase them. When a start was made the sale grew by leaps and bounds. Thousands were sold in each city in the Colony, and the country, stimulated by the " weeklies," began to pour in their ordor, Shipment aJtor shipmeut arrived, and were at onca absorbed, orders oiiginally modest were doubled and trebled by catye, and yet for more than half a year we were without Btook. Gradually bur circle of distributors extended, and many firms finding that a regular "nickel age" had set in, hunted the markets of Europo and America for substitutes. Each mail brought small parcels of saeiai watohes equally handsome in appearance, which were offered to the trade as fully equul to tlio Waterbury, and on which double the profit could be made. They equalloo. the Waterbury in outward finish only, not as timekeepers ; they, like the man who fell out of the balloon were not in it.. Still 'he inducement of excessive profits was potent, and many firms who, ought to have known better became ptrties 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 maimer, and aided by our shortness of supply many spurious imitations were foisted upon the public and gained a temporary footing. Our boxes were at first imitated, and Continental watches were 9Med ; *o that the outward jreiesabJance was

great. Many purchasers were so deceived, and have urged ub several times to take proceedings against tho parties to the fraud, Sufficient. legal evidenoe of the Bale and identity have never been forthcoming, and all we could do was to watch " suspects," ind wait our opportunity. We place our monogram WWC on the face of every watch, i-nd buyers should see that it is there, otherwise they are being "rooked." Gradually the publio beoame more wideawake. Our advertisements were too far-reaohing, and having initially oreated the domand, we wore also able to minimise the chance of deception. Storekeepers, in the firet 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 publio had been refuted by results, and tho larger and more respectable who were most in touch with the people overcame their early prejudice and resolved to supply what their customers required. Judges, Bankers, Mer chants, Clergy, and the olher components o our population called for the waterbury with no uncertain sound. History repeats itself. In America, where the Waterbury sales were originally confined to Clothiers and Booksellers, nearly 40.000 Jewellers are now ; purchasing direot from the Company, and j are selling no other " oheap watches." Their j Swies and Home counterfeits have been sent to Coventry. This is the Waterbury age. | In Great Britain the legitimate trade I was equally apathetic and not until close on ONE MILLION WATERS URYS had been sold by the great railway booksellers, W. 5, Smith and Sons, and others did they chip in, i However, to return te New Zealand, the reaction in favor of the Waterburyß was as decided as its former opposition waß spirited and determined. We have sold during the last eight months of the current year more Waterburys than in any previous year of our trade. Orders flowed in by telegraph and telephone, by mail and by messenger, and many or. the publio who have been waiting months for their watches as well as the trade are iu a position to verify this statement. So far as actual figures go the total sales to date are 84 790 Y/ATCHES and the population of the colony at the last census waa 626,369. This gives more than one waterbury to every eight natives and settlers, young and old, malea and females, in the colony, and is a result totally unprecedented. " Ah, but how do we know it is true I '' says a reader, and for purpeses of corroboration we annex testimonials from four only of the thirty-two firms who are at present acting as our distributing agents, who certify personally to the sale of over 34,600 watcher, 11,952 WATCHES. Wellington, 24th October, 1891. I have examined the books, and find that EIGHTY-THREE GEOSS (equal to 11,952) Waterbury Watches have been sent out of Messrs Rempthorne, Prosser and Oo.'a Wellington warehouse. / There have been very few complaints, and every satisfaction is expressed that such | reliable tiraekespers can be procured at so I small a cost. I All the last parcel of Gold Watches have j been sold, and there is quite a number of orders on hand for ihecn in the nexi. ship- . ment to arrive. j (Signed) Orlando Kempthoene, j Manager, i 9360 WATCHES. j Auckland, 25th September, 1891. ' We have examined our books and find that we have sold SIXTY-FlVlfi GROSS (or 9360) Waterbury Watches. We have had | no complaint of any importance, and our i customers generally have expressed themselves iu terms of unqualified approval.— Yours faithfully, E. Poster & Co. 4320 WATCHES. Ohuistohuboh, 29th September, 1891. We have much pleasure in stating that our experience with the Waterbury Watch has been most satisfactory. We anticipated all sorts of trouble from purchasers treating a watch as an ordinary article of trade, but our fears proved groundless. Out of 360 DOZEN (or 4320) sold by us, very trifling complaint has been received. The almost unanimous opinion is, that for strength and correct timekeeping the Waterbury is unsur-passed,-—Yours faithfully, Edward Reboe & Sons. 9000 WATCHES. Dunedin, 10th November, 189U We have examined our books, and fi.nd we have sold close on 9000 Waterbu.rys, and the demand for them still keeps up. We have much pleasure in testifying to the excellent character which these watches have earned for themselves as timekeepers, and considering the large number 'sold we have remarkably few brought in for repairs. —Yours truly, New Zealand Hardware Co., Ltd. (Per T. Black, Manager.) The remaining twenty-eight firms make up the balance of sales. We attribute this large turnever to the undeniable excellence of the Waterbury as a timekeeper, and its intelligent appreciation by the public, who would never have known of its existence but for the value of the press as an advertising medium. The new Bhort-wind solid silver, and gold filled Waterburys have arrived, and any person requiring the correct time in an intrinsic setting can obtain the keyleßS Waterbury, jewelled movements, in either ladies' or gentlemen's Bize, for from 22s 6d to 635. The nickel favorites, with improved moveremain at 22s 6d and 30s, and the long-wind pioneer series is unaltered at 13a 6'd. Call and see the new watches before purchasing other Christmas and New Year's present?.