If you want to know the time, ask a railroad man. His time is accurate to the dot and three chances out of four, he is wearing a sleek Ball Watch. The history of railroad development and accurate timepieces are intermingled, and Ball Watches played a crucial role from the very beginning. Before trains were a common mode of travel, local communities kept local times. But when railroads were built and trains travelled back and forth different states, the need for Standard time arose for smooth railroad operations. Webb C. Ball was the first jeweller to use time signals in his chronographs, bringing accurate Standard time to his local Cleveland. A dismal train collision prompted Ball to implement strict standards forbidding time variations of 30 seconds among all railroad watches. This tradition of precision is still carried out today among the railroad workers and the Ball watchmakers. Accuracy is the continuing battle cry of Ball Watch. Their stylish timepieces are available in select jewelry dealers like Shreve & Co. at Post Street, San Francisco.

 

 

Reference: http://www.ballwatch.com/html5/index.php?option=com_company&task=history