The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1908-11-05
FIRST CHEAP WATCH
The Story Of the Famous Old
Long Winding Waterbury.

uue SlOTy u tne FAMOUS UIO
Long Winding Waterbury.
SCHEME OF AN OLD c0BBLER
How the Connecticut Shoemal<sr's ldsa
Was Taken Up and Worked out-A
Timepieee That Came to 30 Known
All Over the World.
In a small country town in Con-
nccticut lived a cobbler. He was a
poor man and peculiar one. The
boys called him ''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. It is now a thing of the past
But its cheap price and its remarka-
bly, long wind" lit was stem winder)
were known around the world.
The Waterbury was named for the
town where 1t 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 mai
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 morcy 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 success" he inquired.
IT. will be frank with you," replied
the inventor. 1T will require $4,000,
and shall need eight months for
preparation"
"Go ahead" said the daring capital.
ist
He went ahead. He met unexpected
difficulties and had spent S25O.OOO and
used up twenty-eight months before he
turned out 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
grain somewhat like wood. The
wheels cut out round would not stay
round.
This difficulty being remedied, Sec
ond thousand watches were made. A
large number Of these went. but the
PSASCAtsAf5C VI SIVPpCiS \WolSuCS ludL
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. on
the back and in four positions on the
edge. The maker of each part stamped
his mark on the part he made. so that
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 spent
in the years Of it's vogue in advertising
the Waterbury watch. Some Of the
methods used were interesting.
A negro minstrel troupe were paid to
open their show by saying, 1--WE have
come from Waterbury. the land of
eternal spring." referring to the long
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 traveller noted that
his neighbor was winding his watch.
1t caused no thought until second
look and then third showed the wind.
Ing still under way. Then the astonish-
ed man spoke. excuse me, sir, but
are you winding watch?"
eyes," said the winding owner, "and
I'm tired Of it. You wind awhile, will
you?' This led to explanations and re-
suited in the ordering by the stranger,
who had never before seen a Water
bury. of $4,000 watches for the use Of
his business house in it's China trade.
The great business went on, and
large sums Of money were made in it.
All over the world people were buying
these watches, so cheap were they.
All over the world people laughed at
the "long wind" The old hacker of
the enterprise had died. and one of his
successors felt indignant because his
son in travelling in some remote part
Of Hungary was asked if the Water
bury he came from was the place
| WhnY.N tho vvofoh 1rifh a 1ou~ wind