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1. #How to set time on ball railroad pocket watch serial numbers#
2. #How to set time on ball railroad pocket watch serial#
3. #How to set time on ball railroad pocket watch trial#

If it means that the owner will use a treasured timepiece instead of keeping it tucked away, that's an attractive reason for alteration. Some conversions of high-end brands still sell for a high value after conversion. In general, altering a watch will lower the value (and some enthusiasts are ardently against doing this type of conversion).

For instance, early Patek Philippe & Co. or Tiffany & Co. pocket watch examples will have greater value than many other brands.

High jewel examples are fervently sought by pocket watch collectors. The higher the quality of the watch, the more jewels it will have. These minimize friction and subsequent wear on the inner watch mechanism.

#How to set time on ball railroad pocket watch serial#

The table below is specific to the Ball-Hamilton grade 999B, which used its own sequence of serial numbers.

#How to set time on ball railroad pocket watch serial numbers#

Ball's watch standards and their reputation for accuracy.īall Watch Company Ball Serial Numbers and Production Dates The colloquial phrase "on the ball" purportedly derives from Webb C. Ball was overseeing over 125,000 miles of rail tracks in U.S.A., Mexico & Canada, having greatly contributed to the security of all railroad systems. Ball's standards.Īt the end of his career, Webb C. Then place your watch into the winder and check after a few days how accurate your watch shows the time. You should select the combined winding mode (CW+CCW) and the minimal number of turns per day (TPD).

#How to set time on ball railroad pocket watch trial#

Today's criteria for the certification of each COSC Officially Certified Chronometer are still based in part upon Webb C. If you could not find your watch model (or caliber) in this table, you may determine your HAMILTON winding mode on a trial basis. Watches marked "BALL & Co." are much more difficult to find than those marked "BALL WATCH Co." Ball watches are today some of the most collectible of the American railroad pocket watches. The Ball Watch Company branded and distributed watches made by Hamilton, Waltham, Illinois, Elgin, E. The Waltham Watch Company complied immediately with the requirements of Ball's guidelines, later followed by Elgin Watch Company and most of the other American manufacturers, later on joined by some Swiss Watch Manufacturers. Webb Ball established strict guidelines for the manufacturing of sturdy, reliable precision timepieces, including resistance to magnetism, reliability of time keeping in 5 positions, isochronism, power reserve, accompanied with record keeping of the reliability of the watch on each regular inspection. The Ball Watch Company did not manufacture watches directly, but the company helped develop the specifications for watches used in railroad service. Ball as their General Time Inspector in order to establish precision standards and a reliable timepiece inspection system for Railroad Watches.

When Standard Time was first adopted in 1883, he was the first jeweler to use time signals, bringing accurate time to Cleveland, Ohio.Īfter the infamous collision between Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railways at Kipton, Ohio, which allegedly occurred because an engineer's watch had stopped unnoticed for about 5 minutes, the railroad officials commissioned Webb C. Watches usually had to be reset when they varied more than 20 or 30 seconds (depending upon the railroad) from the Standard Clock, and railroader personnel were required to compare their watches with a Standard Clock each time they went on duty. Ball was born in Fredericktown, Ohio on Octoand became a jeweler and watchmaker.