A PRETTY CONCEIT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7012, 26 June 1894, Page 4

A PRETTY CONCEIT.

The enormous sales of the Waterbury have led firms who do not care for a steady turnover at a legitimate profit to explore the purlieus of the Continent for cheap inferior " tickers " — we do not call them watches — with which to "run the Waterbury." These possess one virtue only — that of showing the dealer a return of some 160 per cent, on his outlay. That they should keep time is a matter of no moment, so long as they resemble the Waterbury m outward appearance, atyle of casing, &c, with sufficient closeness to deceive a careless or unwary purchaser. Firms doing this often say to us, " What do we care ; we can make five shillings more a watch on them than we can on yours ; and as for keeping time, well, our troubles about that." Buyers requiring reliable watches oan trust the Waterbury, and the public requiring the correct time Bhould see that they get it. The gents' of ladies' Waterbury, gold filled or m sterling silver, are handsome, inexpensive, and durable ; whilst the nickel varieties are so well known that they require no further recommendation. It is a pretty conceit for here and there a stray trader to think his imports of the " Nebuchadnezzar," the " Millenium," the "Gonbong," or some otter specially titled monstrosity, has any effect on the Waterbury market, whilst for every watch he nervously orders over one hundred Waterburys are always afloat for New Zealand. The real strength of the Waterbury lies m its absolute reliability, m other words its absolute refusal to keep anything bnt the correct time. We some times see " tickers " — we still bar them any other title— offered for «ale which are really wonderful combinations. They not only exhibit the whole of the celestial bodies on their faces, but keep time, or profess to, tell you the state of the money market, the amount of any particular member's indebtedness at Bellamy's, and the name of the next bank to reconstruct m Australia. The Waterbury does not do this. It simply keeps coirect time, and goes on doing so.