Life, 1919-11-06 · page 3 of 36
Life — November 6, 1919 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Waltham Watch Company advertisement**, not political satire. The image shows a man (identified as "The Master Assembler") examining watch components in a workshop. The ad's appeal is to **American pride in precision manufacturing**. It emphasizes that Waltham watches represent American industrial superiority—their machinery and craftmanship allegedly surpass foreign competitors. The "Master Assembler" is portrayed as a skilled artisan whose expertise ensures quality, positioning the watch as a guarantee of American technical excellence and reliability. The left sidebar appears to contain unrelated satirical content from Life magazine, but the dominant page content is straightforward commercial messaging targeting buyers who valued American-made precision goods.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Know Something About the “ Works” in the Watch You Buy ’ | ‘HERE are limitations to human handiwork in watch- making which American genius has circumvented by the miracles of machinery — miracles which, for exacti- tude, precision and finish — transcend the skill of the human hand. We have told you that Waltham machinery creates a standard of accuracy unapproached elsewhere in the world. That the “ parts” of Waltham mov ments are distinctive in material, design and advanced process of manufacture. And when these “ parts” come to the Waltham Master Assembler, they meet the eye, the skill, the knowledge of a master craftsman thoroughly conversant with the formulas exclusively invented and developed by Waltham genius in watchmaking. He is the assembler of the Balance and Hairspring (the heart and brain of the watch) which ultimately beats upon your wrist or in your pocket 432,000 pul- sations a day, year in and year out. A transferring of energy into motion that is truly wonderful when we seriously think of it. The Assembler of the foreign-built watch, known as a “repasseur,” is to be pitied. He knows no defined standard of quality. The material that comes for his inspection is of unknown quantity in accuracy of construction and finish. His capacity is rather that of a judge. must decide on the barest information and appearance whether one part is good en equal or stabilize another. This condition exists because the foreign-built watch is an bled watch —the parts made in many shops and homes, with hand machines; no standard tion, no ideal, and every buyer of a foreign-built watch incurs this liability The Waltham Master Assembler is unique. He is a product of Waltham supremacy in watch- Waltham 71% Ligne making. He is the human distinction hidden in this world.famed Watch — a unit in its pet- . formance which has placed it in actual competition above the world’s finest watches. He is a The movement is actually smaller than living symbol of Waltham guarding day by day an international reputation, at once a guar- Eyed antee to you that your purchase of a Waltham Watch isa lifelong investment. $175 to $1,000 or more depending upon the case This story is continued in a beautiful booklet in which you will find a liberal watch education. Sent free upon request. Waltham Watch Company, Walthom, Mass. ALTHAM: THE WORLD'S WATCH OVER TIME comicbooks.com