Ball Watches

It was April 18, 1891 when the Great Kipton Train Wreck occured approximately 40 miles west of Cleveland, Ohio when an eastbound mail train sped down the rails for a head on collision with a passenger train heading westward. The conductor of the passenger train failed to stop at the Kipton depot and let the mail train roll by – all because his watch had stopped functioning for four minutes before restarting.

After the disasterous incident at Kipton, the officials at Lake Shore hired Webb C. ball to look into the conditions of the watches and timekeeping devices used throughout the line at Lakeshore. They employed him to develop and implement a new system that would keep the trains from coliding and follow up every two weeks with inspections to the timepieces of all railroad workers.

His strict system allowed only for a deviation of up to 30 seconds every two weeks and only allowed approved skilled watchmakers to provide the inspections. These strict standards became the first ever widely accepted system and brought great recognition to Webb C. Ball for coming up with it. Soon thereafter railroad watches were known to be a standard for accurate watches and timekeeping.

Whenever one asked a railroad worker the time, they knew it was the correct time. Ball watches are one of the most respected watch brands in America today and still uphold the strict standards needed to provide the accuracy the brand is known for and always stay up to date with modern-day consumer needs.