The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-07
MATCHMAKING IN AMERICA.
Testimony Of the Swiss Commissioner
American superior to Foreign Watches.

American Superior to Foreign Watches.
NJ. Edouard Favre Perret, Swiss commits
sioner to the Centennial Exhibition, and men,
Der of the international jury on watches, has
given the results of his observations on Ameri-
can matchmaking in 4 public address ut Charx-
defends, Locle and Ncuchatel. Being himself
a large watch manufacturer, his statements
made Il profound impression in Switzerland,
and will be read with the "livclicst interest in this
country. After skctching the growth of watch
making in Bcsancon, by which tho French
market for watches was lost to Switzerland, he
spoke substantially as follows
Fer a long time America has been the plinci-
pal market for our watches. To-day we must
earncstlyprcpare to struggle with the Americans
on the fields where hitherto We have been the
masters. Mr.. Dennison, the father of American
Matchmaking. travelled through the canton Of
Ncuchatel. Studying or mode OF manufactrr-
ing, seeking to inform himself of everything,
and carefully noting the weak points in Our IN
dustry. After Lis return to the United States,
in 1854. he founded n factory at Boston-''The
Boston Watch Company" The capital-scarccly
800, OOO-was subscribed by capitalists more
than by practical business men. In the begin
ming. the company turned out only the rough
skeleton movement and attended to the finish
ing: all other parts, such as trains, balances,
Jewels. ETC.. were imported from Switzerland.
Little by little, however, the factory extended
its operations and produced other parts. But
as the profits we're small, the capitalists abar-
doncd it and it failed i'll 1856.
Another American, Mr.. Robbins, scented 4
good speculation, and bought the factory and
tools for $4,000. 4 new company-"Tllc
American Watch Company"-was formed, with
n capital of 5000. 600. which was increased to
$500, 900 before the war, which put OH foot a
million of soldiers, and rs every ono wanted l
watch, there was great animation in the watch
business, At this j%uncturc. which might have
been Il lucky one for our industry, we failed to
comprehend our real interests. Instead of send
ing good watches to the Americans, the worst
trash was sent. The Americans, however, wciit
to work on nj entirely different plan. The
company increased their plant and turned out a
better ordinary watch than the Swiss watch. ut
the end Of several years the American watch ell
joyed a good reputation, while ours were dis
credited everywhere. III 1865 the capital was
increased to $750,000, and the operations Of the
company grew to immense proportions. The
Waltham Company gives employment to 800
workmclI, and make about 425 movements per
day. They have again increased their capital
till it amounts to II, 500, 600, besides 1900. GOO
as Il reserve fund. This watch factory il real
power: there is nOne ike ii IN EWnpn. We
have seen it in all its details, and we have all
mircd its splendid organization.
Last May. on the eve Of the Exhibition. We
still seemed masters Of the situation. One
event. however, dealt III a mortal blow. The
Waltlam Company announced a reduction Of
from forty to fifty per cent. OH prices already
lower than their rivals, the reduction to date
back to January !, 1876. II is unnecessary TO
tell yorl. gentlemen, how very detrimental this
was TO the Swiss watch. Still another and more
important reason explains the growing prosper
iy of the American Company. Their tools work
so regularly that all parts Of the watch may be
intcrchalgcd by q simple order on a l~'"stal card
without nccessitating the forwarding of the adj
joining piece.
The question has often been asked, can the
Americans sufficiently supply the demand of
their markets Yes, they can: we arc driven
ont Of the American market. In 1860 the
American Companies produced only 1900
watches. To-day. they produce $50, 0Q0, which
can be easily doubled. We sent to the United
States, in 1872. 3G6, 600 watches. In 1876 VIC
snail barely send them 5000 watches. The
Americans have already begun to send their
manufacture to Europe. In England they sell
annually from 10000 to 10000 watches. The
American watch commences to drive from the
English market the Swiss watch and even the
English watch. The Americans begun by Gre
ating a demand for their goods in the Indies
and in Australia, and then-thanks to some
powerful importing houses-they invaded Eng
land. At Moscow and st. Petersburg they
have already established important branch
offices. Their aim is to drive us first out of
their W country, and then to compete with
us on our own soil. 1 sincerely confess that l
personally have doubted that competition. But
now ] have seen--I have felt it-and I ain
terrified by the danger to which or industry il
exposed. Besides. I am not the on,y one t.
think so: the Socicte Intcrcantonalc have sent
n delegate to make inquiries, and his report
perfectly agrees with mine. Up to this very
day We have believed America to be dependent
upon Europe. We have been installer The
Americans will send us their prodnc, since We
is not confined to watches alone. Already
America has commenced to send cotton goods
to England which hitherto monopolized that
article in the markets Of the world.
Can the Americans maintain their prices ?
Yes, they can, for if they obtain 4 good profit
on their superior quality goods, they can afford
to be satisfied with a smaller profit on the lower
grades Of watches. III America, everything Is
made by machinery here We make everything
by hand. In Switzerland about 10000 work
men make, on all average, each forty watches
,,n,. o,,,,,, r., 4ha TTpifad Gtofns Tho ovproC p
is about $50 watches. Therefore the machinery
pro iuccs three and n half to four times more
than the workmcn
Had the Philadelphia Exhibition taken place
five years later. we should have been totally
annihilated without knowing whence nor how
we received the terrible blow. We have believed
ourselves masters Of the situation, when we
really have been Oh n volcano. And, to-day,
we must actually struggle if we do not want to
encounter. in all the markets, that rival manu-
facturc. For a long time we have hoped that
the customs duties, amounting to 20 per cent,
might be reduced. We cannot count upon it.
America needs all her resources, and whether
Democrats or Republicans be in power. we cln-
not hope for n reduction of import duties. We
must, therefore, make up our mind to lose the
American market. 1t has been complacently
said that the Americans do not make the en-
tire watch. but are dependent upon Switzerland
1Df SCNCTa! parts Oh Tile WutCll. Ills ~ " III"
take. The WaltiIam Company makes the entire
watcl, from the first screw to the case and dial.
It would even be difficult for them to Use our
products. so great is the regularity, 70 minute
the precision with which their machines work.
They arrive at the regulation Of the watches
so to say-without having seen it. When the
watch is given to the adjustcr, the foreman de-
livers to him the corresponding lair-spring.
and the watch is regulated. ESensation among
the audiencc.l Here is what l have seen. gen
tlcmcn! | asked from the director of the
Wnltham Company a watch of the fifth grade.
/ a large safe was opened before me ; at random
+ I took Il watch ont Of it and fastened it to my
chain. The director having asked me to let
him have the watch for two or three days, SO as
to observe its motion, I answered: "On the
contrary, l persist in wearing it just rs it is to
obtain an exact idea Of yorr manufacture. 1t
Paris, I set my watch by a regulator OH the
Boulevard, and on the sixth day l observed that
it had varied 80 seconds And this watch is of
the fifth American grade it cost Is francs
movement without case). On my arrival at
Locle 1 showed the watch to one of our first
adjustcrs, who asked permission to take it
downfall is, to take it to pieces. !, however,
wished first to observe it, and here is the result
,1:l ,,o4ol II,,x l.,1,, ,,o,,4;n,, ,-,