Ball Watches
Ball Watch Company SA was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1891 by Webb C. Ball. At the time, every town in the United States told time with their own accuracy based on the suns location as there was no need to know exact timing. As the modern age approached and the railroads needed accurate timing a standardization of time became necessary. This became more apparent when on April 19, 1891, a head-on collision between two trains occurred in Kipton, Ohio. The accident occurred as a conductors watch stopped for 4 minutes throwing off a schedule where the trains would be able to pass each other at a designated location. This collision lead to the Ball Watch company by standards for all watches used on trains. These standards were strict and became known as Rail Road Standard or RR standard. These standards had to be kept as well so each employee of the railroad companies had to bring each watch in for service every two weeks to maintain accuracy. The RR standard became known as a timepiece that:
- No lid covering the dial
- Size 18 or 16 (44.86mm or 43.17mm)
- Plain white dial, bold black hands and Arabic numbers
- Contains a winding stem at 12 o’clock
- Has a minimum of 17 jewels
- Has a double roller
- Is lever-set
- Adjusted to at least 5 positions
- Be adjusted to temperatures of 40 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit
- Accuracy with a gain or loss of maximum 30 seconds a week
