Railroad Pocket Watch – What You Need To Know

The railroad pocket watch became a staple for all railway workers in the late 1800′s – but only by means of one of the greatest train wrecks.

The event occured on April 18, 1891, as two trains approached each other in Kipton, Ohio. On a passenger train, the pocket watch of an engineer stopped working for four minutes. As a result of this mixup the train was running late. Another train – a mail freighter – was heading in the same direction on another side of town. The trains missed their usual rendezvous point and wrecked near the edge of town, killing eight people including both conductors.

This event spurred great change among the rail community. A jeweler and watchmaker specializing in pocket watches, Mr. W.C. Ball was a significant voice during the time and knew timekeeping well. He knew what it took to keep a watch on time – and prevent another railroad collision as a result of something as small as a pocket watch – and he was thus appointed to the chief inspector to railroad timekeeping.

As part of his new duties, Ball quickly enacted rules and regulations for all railroad pocket watches. All railroad workers were now required to have with them at all times a pocket watch which was up to American Railway Association regulations.

These watches must have been:

• Open-faced pocket watches;
• Keeping time to within 30 seconds;
• A size of no less than 16 and no more than 18; and
• Have a minimum of 17 jewels.

If a worker did not keep his pocket watch up to code, and in acceptable condition, he faced harsh discipline. In fact, railroad workers were subject to routine but unannounced pocket watch inspections to ensure the safety of train travel.

Do you want to buy a railroad pocket watch? There were several companies who made watches which matched railway regulations. Specifically, Waltham model number 1883 is a size 18 watch. Waltham Watch Co. was a very prominent watch maker during the 1800′s and provided watches to hundreds of rail workers – and to regular citizens as well. Their models “riverside maximus” and the “vanguard” were some of the popular ones. An authentic Waltham antique pocket watch can sell for prices ranging from $100 to $1,000 depending on the age and condition.

Before you buy, it is recommended to consult with a watchmaker or jeweler to make sure that your future purchase is an authentic one!