Keeping Trains on Time: The Story of Railroad Watches

“Before the wristwatch was fashion, it was discipline — and sometimes, it kept the world from colliding.”

There was a time when watches didn’t just mark moments — they kept people alive.

In the late 1800s, as the railroad became the heartbeat of America, everything depended on timing. The rail system ran like clockwork — literally. Two trains could share the same track, moving in opposite directions, so long as every conductor’s watch was perfectly synchronized. If one was off — even by a minute — disaster could strike.

And one day, it did.

On April 19th, 1891, just outside Kipton, Ohio, two trains collided head-on. The cause? A conductor’s pocket watch had stopped for only four minutes before starting again — just long enough for one train to leave the station too early. Eight men were killed, and an entire nation learned a hard lesson about precision.

In the aftermath, a Cleveland jeweler named Webb C. Ball was hired to establish strict timekeeping standards for the railways. What he created became known as the Ball Railroad Standard — and it forever changed how watches were made, tested, and trusted.

Ball’s rules were simple but revolutionary: - Watches had to be accurate within 30 seconds per week. - They needed bold Arabic numerals for instant legibility. - They had to be lever-set, meaning you couldn’t accidentally change the time by bumping the crown. - They had to be open-faced, with the winding stem at 12 o’clock.

Soon, a new title emerged — “Railroad Grade.” It meant your watch wasn’t just keeping time; it was keeping lives safe.

Ball didn’t build every watch himself — he certified others. Companies like Hamilton, Waltham, Elgin, and Illinois Watch Co. all made “Ball Standard” timepieces. Each one had to pass inspection before a conductor or engineer could even step foot on a train.

For decades, these pocket watches were as vital as the steel tracks themselves. They were passed down, inspected weekly, and respected like old friends. When wristwatches eventually replaced pocket watches, the Ball Watch Company evolved too — now producing rugged, high-precision tool watches that still honor that same legacy of accuracy and dependability.