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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Cleveland, OH, United States · 1847 – 1922

Webb C. Ball

Partially verified

Railroad time standards

Life & work

Established the Official Railroad Time Service in 1891.

Training, contributions & innovations

  • Set the standards for railroad-grade watches

Inventions & patents

  • N/A

Signatures & markings on surviving work

  • Ball Official RR Standard

Collecting significance

Authenticity depends on signatures and movement quality. For 19th-century makers, serial numbers often allow for precise dating. For modern independents, documentation from the maker is key.

Related photographs

ILLINOIS BUNN SPECIAL RAILROAD WATCH – 1923
ILLINOIS BUNN SPECIAL RAILROAD WATCH – 1923 — WatchMuseum.org, © WatchMuseum.org, used with permission. WatchMuseum.org catalogue record
ILLINOIS BUNN SPECIAL RAILROAD WATCH – 1923
ILLINOIS BUNN SPECIAL RAILROAD WATCH – 1923 — WatchMuseum.org, © WatchMuseum.org, used with permission. WatchMuseum.org catalogue record
ILLINOIS BUNN SPECIAL RAILROAD WATCH – 1923
ILLINOIS BUNN SPECIAL RAILROAD WATCH – 1923 — WatchMuseum.org, © WatchMuseum.org, used with permission. WatchMuseum.org catalogue record

No confidently matched photograph of this subject has been found yet. These photographs show a closely related record, and are not examples of the type described on this page.

Sources & references

  1. Britten, F. J., Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers
  2. Loomes, B., The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain
  3. Ehrhardt, R., American Pocket Watch Identification and Price Guide
  4. Museum catalogue records

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.