New-York tribune., 1878-10-02
SWISS AND AMERICAN WATCHES.

SWISS AID AMERICAN WATCHES.
SOME or rnr ADVANTAGES cIAtuED FOR FOREIGN
wATcurs-THEIR fINIsH. STYLE AND BEAUTY.
AND POPULARITY IN EUROPE.
To the EdttOr or Thc TrtbHHe.
SIR: Incredible though it be- it is said to be
admitted that the sum OF 100000 has been
spent by one Amcri company In adyer
tising ITS watches. II tins company has found
the expenditure " tins vast sum necessary
to procure market for is goods and "a
influences public opinion in their favor, 1t certainly
does not argue very ofcby IN favor OF the real merit
Of IT'S goods. II II very generally believed that tn
socalrd Fayr,-Pcrrct Philadelphia Report was in
auenced IN some such way, though Mr. Fayre
Obliged later to deny over his signature tho most OF
what he had said tbat Important, and To state
further that par ~ the rest Of his report were garbed
by the translator 1t Il hardly necessary To add thai
the company which circulated Mr. Fayresreport was very
careful not To print denial ard explanation though
simple justice him required II; and that consequently
comparatively iew persons have seen the letter
fcrred TO- TIE report, the explanation ana tic ctrdc
tion have gwen rise 10 letter. statements and debates
and to much aeerby cf feeling In all OF which the gen
eral public Is much Interested thau IL Is to know
now much of II all Is fact and how much fiction
By the dealers, importers, jObbcrs anu retailers Of
Watches who have the Ol knowing and fiud1ng
the poson ia well under stood but the consumer, the
really Interested Icrson, who can have no professional
knowledge Of the subject, who II Influenced or pnJu
diced bv reprsentatiOns Of the eNactneSJ Of which he
cannot Judge aud Ivy statements whch he oannot verify,
has right 10 be better informed matter OF so much
import To him. and him this statement OF facts Is
spceally addressed With regard 10 the constantly re-
peatcd boast that American watches are made wholly
ly machinery, aud consequently better than the
Swiss. It's mechanical absurdty Is too apparent
10 really require n reutaton, especially 10 any one at
all acuualnted with Mechanics; and involves contra
dictons which the American Company e "price-iists'
fail entirely to explain II s doubt true that Amer
lean watches are made by machines but Is also true
Of All watches and the tools by which each part IN made
are almost identical everywhere In American watches
the Dart are left they from the the
conpany claims that any attempt 10 finish them " hand
ipinres Them In Switzerland on the contrary, there
arc workmen who can finish the parts, anu improve
them One mystery s that II every part OF the Amerl'
can watch A made by a machine, and every piece so
oode ia nrrfeet how dozen qualities are made with
IN. sarne raehnes II the statement be true, every
watch shoud be perfect whereas they do not pretend
that the lowest grade is equal to the highest nor do
they seI them at price. In the Swiss watches
on the other hand the machine work being the same,
the quality ana price depend entirely upon the finish,
care and adjustment given afterward by sluul work
men.
Much the same holds good In regard to the claim that
the narts are facilitating repairs and
Il only be explained by the fact that the parts never
having been fitted to each other, will M well as they
ever did which is, in effect, badly strong main
sprng makes the watch 20. and the frctions inevitably
reduce some while they aggravate others, OF the org
nal detee The abrasion Of the edge, or wear OF the
cuttiag tools when renders 1t impossible to pro
Anoa ----aA-s absolutely of the same