The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-18
WATCHES THAT KEEP time.
They Are by No Means the
Most Expensive Ones that
Do 1t.
A Revolution In the Manufac-
ture Of Cheap and Reliable
Timepieces.

Much Depends on Regulating a Watch
for the Wear 1t is to
Receive.
"Good time keeping" said the New York
News the other day, sis not confined e1clu-
sively to the hieher-priced style of watches.
Many of the cheap movements rival their
more costly competitors in the matter OF
reliability. Few men care for very accurate
time-pieces. With the exception of railway
engineers, upon whose punctuality often
depends the lives of hundreds, watch
which records the time within minute
week is as valuable as any other. Fifteen
wears or so ago cheap grade of nickel
cased watches were made, which at once
became very popular. The works were
made of brass, with as little money spent
on finish as possible-only the parts requlr-
ing polish received it. They were sold
from Sc to $12. and, like newspapers, they
filled want long felt. Since then the
manufacture of these watches has increased
thousand-fold, and now no time piece
finds reader sale.
The jeweler fished out Of dazzling array
of timekeepers few of the most valuable
ones. One was encased in a plain gold
shell with the crystal set flush with the
rim. It was about the shape and as smooth
as a thin polished biscuit. This time
piece was split-second chronograph or
horse timing watch. Around the dial there
were go figures instead of IL, one for each
second, These were all subdiyided into
four divisions by delicate hairline marks.
Upon the pressure OF convenient spring
in the rim of the watch the one hand in
which pursued the circular journey alone,
while the other remained to record the dis
lance already gone over. Another touch
upon a smaller spring stopped the hand,
and still another pressure and the hands
INSTANTLY reunited and flew back to their
original place on the dial. The hour and
minute Of the day were recorded by
about the size of q dime at the
right Of the center Of the large dial, and a
stubby hand told off the seconds on SINH
lar dial at the left. This watch was valued
at $500, and contained many but by no
means all the latest inventions in watch
making. There was another watch in the
case of far moro elaborate pattern. fabri-
Gated out of q rich copper ALLOY gold and
highly polished. Its rim was corrugated
with knobs and springs. This was not
only q chronograph, but repeater as we'll.
Near the hinges was small slide. When
this was moved there followed a low buzz
ing sound like distant swarm of bees and
deep-toned silver bell struck the hour
while smaller one rang out the minutes
At night this is q valuable feature, and
often saves many fruitless and profane
searches, over unexpected and unheard OF
- f<,~ knI,n xrh
where they ought to be and for gas fixtures
which have invariably and mysteriousl.
shifted their places after the light has beer
extinguished.
Another watch had in addition to tn
chronographic and repeating attachments
the collection. and was worth $1,000.
had split second hands, but the hour an
minute hands travelled the same course a
in an ordinary timepiece. There were thre
little sunken dials below the center of tn
large dial. In one short second han
Indicated in small rod letters. In anothe
was told the month. and in the remainin
one the day of the month was denoted
Directly under the figure "twelve" was
crescent shaped dial with black back
ground in which rose and set golde
moon. By this watch the phases of tn
moon, the time of the day, the day of tn
week and month and the name of the mont
were all told, leaving the fortunate owne
only the wear Of our Lord to remember.
In addition to these horological an
astronomical accomplishments the bell
struck the quarters of the hour as we'll a
the minutes, by q combination of the tw
bells making an embryo chime. The ton
of these silver bells Was 30 sweet that a
appreciative owner might at frat be temp
ed to lie awake half the night to hear thel
strike. There were vast variety OF oth'
fine watches, telling everything that ma
should have any right TO expect from. OF
single timepiece, and ranging IN prlc
from $500 to $500.
"These," resumed the jeweler, are a
made by our firm at our Swiss factory Ar
rival the most celebrated works of the III
ropean makers. The calendar watches ha'
such complicated machinery that they a
be taken with them, az there are probab
not a dozen men in this city who could n
pair one when it needs watchmaker's a
tention.''
1.-THE watches having the greatest rep
tation,". continued the jeweler, ARE MAJ
in England and Denmark put our ow ,s
American makes and some Swiss watch
are equally reliable time-keepers. Watc
making is not secret art and the names
good watchmakers are legion. Some OF q
foreign jewelers. are shrewd advertiser
They often leave some of their better gra
OF watches IN the great ast1onoMAcaA ooss
vatories to be regulated by the planets,
it were. The attendant who winds the
daily and records their variations is not
ieweler, and understands nothing whs
ever about timepieces. After leaving the
there for several months their records a
sent With the watches back to their owner
This trial is supposed by some
lend an additional value to the watches, b
it in reality does nothing of the sort, for &
variation of q watch which is kept in
cool room in perfectly stationary positi'
is not at all similar to the record the san
movement will make in gentleman
waistooat pocket. A man doesn't buy
watch to hang it up like clock. 1t mu
therefore be regulated for his use PERSONAL
watch which would accurately record tt
time for a bank president would be lit
good for railroad conductor until it h,
been regulated to suit its new ownership
STORE HAIR.