Railroad and Railroad Grade watch sales and service and information The
Great American Railroad Pocket Watch--Quality antique and vintage railroad watches
Railroad and Railroad Grade watch sales and service and information
We all love and cherish railroad memorabilia...the good old days...when
times were simpler, and a person had time to stop and enjoy a great sunset,
time to smell the roses so to speak. But what is all the interest
in the American Railroad Pocket Watch. We see advertisements each
day by sellers claiming to be marketing true railroad watches because the
dial is Arabic, or that is is an open face about a 16 or 18 size, or that
it has an engraving of a locomotive on the case.
So what is that makes a railroad watch so desirable--so collectible--and
so very expensive And how does one recognize one?
Sorry--no fast easy answer--but the following information may give you
some insight into the whole matter.
It began in 1891, the country was experiencing prosperity of the
gay 90's, and the rail system was expanding with great enthusiasm.
April 19th saw a fast mail train known as No. 4 traveling east on
the same track as an accommodation train was going West. Unfortunately
the engineer's watch on the accommodation train had stopped for 4 minutes,
and then started up again. The two trains met their destiny at Kipton,
Ohio, where both engineers were killed, along with nine others.
Following the disaster, a commission was appointed to come up with standards
for timepieces that would be adopted by all railroads. The industry
now had to demand precision in its timekeeping. Thus were born some
of the finest timepieces ever made in the world!!!
The General Railroad Timepiece Standards were adopted by most railroads
in 1893. They had to meet the following standards:
A railroad watch had to be open faced, size 16 or 18, have
a minimum of 17 jewels, adjusted to at least five positions, keep time
accurately to within 30 seconds a week, adjusted to temps of 34 to 100
degrees F. have a double roller, steel escape wheel, lever set, regulator,
winding stem at 12 o'clock, and have bold black arabic numerals on a white
dial, with black hands.
A system of individual watch inspections was set up, and any watch
that gained or lost 30 or more seconds in 7-14 days had to be repaired
by an experienced and approved watchmaker. Because this system was
adopted and adhered to, American watch manufacturers produced a superior
railroad watch, and the traveling public was assured of increased safety.
The railroad watch standards changed throughout the years, and generally
the watches became even more accurate. The railroad man was compelled
to buy a timepiece more accurate than many scientific instruments of precision
used in labs. Because of the railroad standards, the most accurate and
rugged regulator systems that the world had ever seen, were developed.
But it was more than unsurpassed accuracy that has made the American
Railroad Watch a great collectible and a good investment. The simplistic beauty of the
dial, the artisan-ship with which they are designed, the precious jewels
and metals used in the production of the high quality movements, all contribute
to to the making of a great American collectible. If you pay a fair
value for a good running railroad pocket watch, you can expect that its
value will hold, or most likely appreciate over the years--making it a
good investment.
For more information about railroad watches, here is another good link:
Just What Is A Railroad Watch? Compliments of Kent Singer - www.pockethorology.org
We invite you to view the attached images of
Railroad Watches. Be sure to look at the views of the movements--it will give
you an idea of the value and beauty of the RAILROAD WATCH.
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