THE NEW WATERBURYS

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1903, 8 June 1892, Page 3

THE NEW WATERBURYS

A WONDERFUL RECORD.

The average newspaper reader who h:is 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 uinety-nine persons out of every hundred. The initiated, however know what a wonderful result these advercise.neuts have brought about. When the writer came to New Zealand with the Waterbury wtach in 1887, find made the uoual trade calls, the wholesale dealers would have none of them ; one Dunedin firm having about a hundred stowed away in a Dowling street cellar, quite, as they stated unsaleable, j because everybody considered it infra dig to ! carry a nickel watch. Retail jewellers were appealed to, but with no better result. The public will never take to a nickel w.iteh, said . they, and if they did we could not sell them i without lowering the status of our craffc. This position was illogical. They handled nickel clocks but could not be persuaded to handle nickle watches. This result was general in New Zealand, and n jt until the advertisements began to appear, and the public showed their Clearness to obtain Ihese 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 orders. Shipment after shipment arrived", and were at once absorbed, orders originally modest were doubled and trebled by cable, and yet for more than half the year we were without stock. Gradually our circle of distributors extended, and mauy firms finding that a regular "nickel age " had set in, hunted the markets of America and Europe 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 could be made. They equalled the Waterbury in outward finish only, not as timekeepers ; they, like the man who fell out of the balloon, were not in it. Still the inducements of excessive profits were 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 ever so closely. In this manner, 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 cased, so that the outward resemblance was great. Many purchasers were so deceived, and have urged us several times to tike 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 is there, otherwise they are being " rooked." Gradually the public became more wideawake. Our advertisements were too far-reaching, and have initially created the demand, we were also able to minimise the chance of deception. Storekeepers, in the first place, not in the trade, gradually began to consider the Waterbury a first-class staple. Jewellers saw 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 resolved to supply what their customers re quired. 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 Waterbury sales were originally confined to Clothiers and Booksellers, nearly 40,000 Jewellers are vow purchasiug direct from the. Company, and are selling no other "cheap 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 ONE MILLION WATERBURYS bad been sold by the great railway booksellers, W. H, Smith and Sons, and others did they chip in. However, to return to New Zealand, the reaction in favour of the Waterburys was as decided as its former opposition was spirited and determined. We have sold during the last eight months of the current year more Waterburys than in any previous yeap of our trade. Orders flowed in by telegraph and telephone, by mail and by messenger, and many of the public who have been waiting for months for their watches as well as the trade are in a position to verify this statement. So far as ac ual figures go the total sales to date I are 84,790 WATCHES, and the population of the colony at the last census was 626,359. This gives more than one Waterbury to every eight natives and settlers, young and old, mules and females, in the colony, and is, a result totally unprecedented. "Ah, but how do we know it is true ?" says a reader, and for purposes of corro boration 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 34,500 watches ' 11,952 WATCHES, WEijiJ^aTOH, 24th October, 1891, ! I have examined the hooks, and find that EIGHTY., THREE GROSS (equal to 11,952.) Water"bvurv WatoHes turve teen sent oat of MesSTS Kempthorue, Prosser, and Co.'s Wellington warebouse. TUere have been very few complaints and every satisfaction is expressed that such reliable timekeepers can be procured at so small a cost. All the last parcel of Gold Watches have been sold, and there is quite a number of orders on hand for them in the shipment to arrive. (Signed; Orlando Kempthohne, 93.Q0 watches. Manager - A.UCELATID, Sstb September, 1891. We have examined our books and find that we have sold SIXTY-FIVE GROSS (or 9360) Waterbury Watches. We have had no complaint of any importance, and our customers generally have expressed themselves in term 3of unqualified approval.— Tours faithfully, E. Porter & Co. 4320 WATCHES. Christcurch, 29th September, 1891. We have much pleasure in stating that our experience with the Waterbury Watoh has been most satisfactory, We anticipated all sorts of trouble from purchasers treating a watch as an ordinary aroticle 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 unsurpassed —Yours faithfully, Edwjlrd Beece & Sons. I 9000 WATCHES, ' Dunedin, loth November 1891. We have examined qur books, and find we have I sold close on 9000 Waterburys, and the demand for j them still keeps up, Wp have much pleasure la testifying to the ex- ' cellent 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 the sales. We attribute this large turnover to the undeniable excellence of the Waterbury as a timekeeper, and its in- I telligent 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 short-wind solid silver, and gold filled Waterburys have arrived, and any person requiring the correct time in an intrinsic setting can obtain the keyless Waterbury, jewelled movements, in either ladies or in gentleman's size, for from 22s 6J to 633. The nickel favourites, with improved movements, remain at 22s 6d and SOs, and the long-wind pioneer series is unaltered at 13s 6d . Call and see ihe new watches before purchasing other 1 Ohriatmw aad Hew Year's present.