Life, 1920-04-01 · page 7 of 60
Life — April 1, 1920 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **advertising content**, not satire or political commentary. It's a full-page Waltham Watch Company advertisement from *Life* magazine (page 583). The ad promotes Waltham's "scientifically shaped guard pin" — a small mechanical device that protects watch movements from damage. The decorative illustration shows watch components and mechanisms rather than political figures or caricatures. The text emphasizes technical precision and reliability, explaining how the guard pin prevents friction and maintains accurate timekeeping. The ad's headline claims Waltham produces "the most scientifically built watch in the world." This represents early-20th-century advertising's appeal to middle-class consumers through scientific authority and mechanical innovation — positioning watchmaking as precise engineering worthy of trust.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The movement is actually smaller than a dime in diameter $250 to $1,500 or more depending upon the case BULT WATCH IN The The Waltham Scientifically Shaped Guard Pin that Means So Much to You in Time-keeping Accuracy ’ railroad train keeps it from running off the track, so the Waltham scientifically shaped guard pin keeps the escapement from going out of action. Jat as the flange on the wheels of the It is these little things of scientific con- struction which insure dependable perform- ance. And this is particularly true of a watch. This Waltham scientifically shaped guard pin is a development of Waltham genius —cutved in shape for a reason, which overcomes the errors of time-keeping found in watches with a straight guard pin. The position of any guard pin is deter- mined by the diameter of the roller (illus- trated above), and after the escapement has been adjusted, the guard pin is bent forward to within a third of the thick- ness of a human hair, to allow the roller Sent free upon request. to revolve freely, excepting when the watch receives an unusual jolt, and that is the time the guard pin functions. In other words, the guard pin is a safety device to assure the perfect functioning of your watch. You will notice in the illustration that the Waltham scientifically curved guard pin presents a single and infinitesimal point of contact with the roller, thereby reducing the possibility of friction, which is the great- est enemy of good time-keeping. The straight guard pin presents, if properly made, a plane of contact. If there should be any imperfection, the guard pin would have to be set at an angle. (See Ulustration above.) And this would make it impos- sible to properly adjust the guard pin. - Whereas the curved guard pin can be bent in any direction and it will still present its small area of con- tact, reducing friction to a minimum, It Is these tiny, exclusive units hidden in the works of the watch, involving years of study and invention, that assure you of preci sion time-keeping and durabilicy when your watch selection is a Waltham, This story is continued in a beautiful booklet in which you will find a liberal watch education. Waltham Watch Company, Waltham, Mass. ALTHAM THE WORLD'S WATCH OVER TIME comicbooks.com