The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-27
MISUNDERSTANDING
7,cAN WATCHES DOWNING
EoRE1GN COMPETITION.

INafEn66
go, the United States-Stem-
Winders Are Now Universally FoDu-
-,,u, the Philadelphia Inquirer
,,,r;thin two years there will not be
,-ouwinding watch movement made In TINS
country" 60 renor+er
-. nv one of the highest officials OF
S 'o manufacturing company, who has
tbe figures of American watch production,
.ous1'Tnntion and expectation at his tongues
ond IT was given in answer to question
- 70 whether the key-winding grades OF
.--o-ican-made timepieces were not dlsap-
nearing from the market.
..vas the key-winder will soon cease to
Ia a staple in the watch market. he contln-
'o5 ssspd will be relocated 60 the curiosity
oSoIf as a star whose light has shone In by
-ona DAYS. The key-wlrder Is dying
sso+,.raI death, and the marvellous success OF
that later Improvement IN tlmepleces' tne
ee..o,,,-yy,nding attachment, is due to the
eeHar--ossive Spirit and ideas of American
P.otSsb manufacturers, and the readiness
~ which that many-minded body, the
UnhIic has appreciated the skill embodied
in stem-winding watches
AMERICAN REPEATING WATCHES.
s.Tbara are more fine watches carried by
Americans than are used by any other na-
ZION in the world. The American manufact-
-. rot content with routing the Swiss
makers from the profitable fields which
thew so long enjoyed monopoly OF, partl-
crierIv in the line of what the trade regards
as good and fine watches, has at last en-
croacbed upon the hitherto exclusive pre-
serves of the Swiss by beginning the manu-
facture of repeaters. These watches are
univ made in the superlative grade, and their
cost Rms I'D into the hundreds. American
watch companies are now making a re-
roatar which embodies every improvement
Known to horologists and placing the hneSt
grade ON the market at nearly SlUU 1855
Than the corresponding quality OF Swiss
manufacture is selling for, and our chrono-
graphs and horse-timlng watches are OUT OF
sjpht ahead of the Swiss. Not only this.
hut the American is justly pronounced the
sunerlor watch because the intricate parts
are made by the finest watch machinery In
the world. and results are obtained that
cannot be found in hand made watch.
"Swiss watches of all grades are gradu-
ally disappearing from American marts.
The foreigners are simply not In 1T with
and. better than all, American brains to
fight them. Waltham, Elgin, Illinois,
Hampden and the few other watches made
in the United States have slowly forced the
foreigners out of the country. 1t was not
battle between national prejudices Our
own watches were and are clearly the best
beyond all question. If the fact of almost
entirely supplanting the Swiss watch in
America comparatively within few years IS
not sufficient we have only to mark the
sale of our watches in other countries, yes,
in Switzerland itself
OUR TIMEKEEPERs IN AUSTRALIA.
Australia is the largest consumer of
American watches. and thousands of them
travel there every year, to be worn and
their fine time-keeping qualities appreciated
hv the wide-awake Australians, who are
much in favor of American goods at any
rate The palatal offices of the American
watch companies in London, Paris and
other live and commercial centers of Europe
speak very loud for the present position our
goods occupy in the Old World, not to
speak of the future that is in store for them.
And, unless | am much at fault in my cal
culations, an American watch company
will soon have an Office in Calcutta, and
will invade the Indian market"
''But about key-winding watches and the
natural death they are dying~
mo one considers the key-winding
American watch any the less monument
TO national ingenuity and skill because it is
going out of the market. IL has served the
public well, as its successor the stem winder
will serve them better. How many people
do you know who carry key-winders!
Maybe a dozen. How many dozens do YOU
see with a stem-winder! They are all up
with the times And the times in America
says that 1t takes up too much of ones time
to pull out key. open the back lid and
spend some valuable m Jments In carefully
winding up the timepiece.
'Stem-wnding Is altogether a different
occupation. One is not compelled to stop
while performing that operation, nor look
While one winds, nor open the watch. Stem
winding may be and generally is done while
the Wearer pursueS another action. The @
differences in favor of time saving on the
one hand and time losing on the other have
gradually put the key-winder on the shelf.
That Is not all.
PENDANT SET WATCHES.
The REMARKABLY skillful improvements in
tne winding apparatus of American watches
as applied to -winders have made them
objects not only to be desired for their ac-
curate tlmekeeping, but for the convenience
embodied in them. The pendant-setting
arrangement is one of the chief of these.
NO more opening of the watch lid and re,
moval of the bevel-with the attendant an
noyances of splitting finger nails and
ecIdCchlng myers. Simply twist of the
stem and the hand setting apparatus is
IN direct communication with the stem. but
separated from the winding gear A slight
back movement, the hands are reset. and
the stem Is ready to do winding duty again.
Other valuable improvements which the
Keen-slghted manufacturers have not
ueeined worth their while to apply to key
winding watches-doubtless anticipating
tne future when they would disappear as
staple goods-have been added to stem
"lnders, and to-day the American pendant
SeC' stem-winding watch movement. from
lowest to highest grade, stands the superior
Of any corresponding grades of Swiss or
European watches.
kEY-WINDERS SLOWLY DISAPPEARING.
An idea may be gained of the fast dis
appearing prestige of the key winding
"atcn, when 1t is known that the monthly
output OF key movements from American
! ,1c Is only about 1000, against over
IoU,OUO stems. There is no CITY trade for
men, the demand being from small country
to"ns where the old idea that the kew
1Tlhder is the only watch still holds SWAY.
AeyS are only made in one grade-tne very
caeaQest-and their sale is consequent lv re-
sfIcCed to an ordinary trade. The com
pahleS are slowly curUailing their OUTPUT of
Aey-~lnders each month, and the caIcuIa-
sIOh IS that within the two years thew will
naVe turned the tide of demand entirely in
'ne direction of stem winders
MYRIADS OF AMERICAN TIMEPIECEs.