The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-07
FIRST CHEAP WATCH
The Story of How the Famous
Old Long Winding Water
bury Was Made.
SCHEME OF OLD COBBLER.

In small country town in Con-
necticut lived a cobbler. He was
poor man and a peculiar one. The
boys called him a gene" and some
thought him crazy. But he kept on
in the even tenor of his way, living
his own life and thinking his own
thoughts. One of these thoughts was
that he could make watch that would
have only three wheels.
A matchmaker out Of a job heard
of the cobbler and called at his little
shop. This was the beginning of the
famous Waterbury watch, which was
the first cheap watch to be manufac-
tured. 1t Is now thing of the past.
But its cheap price and its remarka-
bly, long wind" lit was a stem winder)
were known around the world.
The Waterbury was named for the
town where it was made. 1t had more
than the three wheels that the cob
bier had planned, but the little old
shoemaker's idea was the original
germ from which was evolved the
successful cheap watch.
Having got the idea. the purchaser
of the cObbler's rights found that the
first difficulty in his path was lack of
money He looked about for a man
with money enough, nerve enough and
imagination enough to lead him to rem
der the financial aid without which
no first step could be taken. He was
found, because it was Yankee with
an indomitable will that was looking
for him.
How much money will it take and
how long time do you want before
you can begin to make your watches
in sufficient quantities to make the
thing a success" he inquired.
81 will be frank with you" replied
the inventor. 1T will require $25, 900,
and l shall need eight months for
PREPARATION
Go ahead" said the daring capital.
list
He went ahead. He met unexpected
difficulties and had spent $25O,OOO and
used up twenty-eight months before he
turned out a single watch. But the
capitalist never faltered. Then the
factory, for which every piece of ma.
chinery had to be invented and spe
cially made. turned out its first thou.
sand watches.
Not one Of them would go! Among
other things, it was found that the
sheets of brass out of which were
stamped the wheels of the watch had
a grain somewhat like wood The
wheels cut out round would not stay
round
This difficulty being remedied, a sec
ond thousand watches were made. A
large number of these went, but the
percentage of shoppers" (watches tina,
refused to go) WAS still too large.
New study. new experiments, how
ever finally perfected the cheap little
timekeepers TO the point Of perfection
that only about 10 per cent were stop
pers. The good watches were tested
in six positions-lying on the face, or
the back and in four positions on the
edge. The maker of each part stamped
his mark on the part he made, so thai
if fault was found in that part he
must make It right.
Then came the question Of selling the
watches. and over $4,000 was spen,
in the years of it's vogue in advertising
the Waterbury watch. Some of the
methods used We're interesting.
A negro minstrel troupe were paid Il
open their show by saying. 1--WE have
come from Waterbury, the land OF
eternal spring" referring to the Ions
time required to wind the Waterbury
watch.
One day the owner of one of these
timepieces was winding it on the train
Across the aisle a traveller noted tha
his neighbor was winding his watch
1t caused no thought until a seconf
look and then a third showed the wind
ing still under way Then the astonish
| ed man spoke. Excuse NE, sir, bu
are you winding watch?"
Yes" said the winding owner. "ant
I'm tired Of II. You wind awhile. will
your: This led TO explanations and re
suited in .tae GRO .rinSa-hy The stranger