BALL Engineer II Chronometer Limited Edition - Full Set
The Great Kipton Train Wreck
On April 19, 1891, a horrific crash between two trains took the lives of 8 people and the train depot of Kipton sustained heavy damages. All of it because a mail train was just 4 minutes off due to the train conductor's mechanical watch malfunctioning.
Before then, American train companies agreed to divide the nation into 4 separate time zones and created Standard Time in 1883. (This concept wasn't recognized by US congress until 1918.)
This would all change with the Great Kipton Crash. Concerned with a calamity like this happening again, the General Superintendent of Lake Shore Lines called on Ohio jeweler and watchmaker Webster Clay Ball to be the Chief Inspector for the train Lines. After all, he was the first watchmaker to use accurate time signals for the city of Cleveland.
His rigorous and strict inspection system was a game changer. The checks were only done by approved watchmakers and did not allow variations of our 30 seconds a day. The system was so good it was soon adopted across the entire US, Mexico, and Canada.
Thus, the creation of the Railroad STANDARD was born. Everyone knew that if you asked for the time from a railroad employee, you're getting the right answer. The saying, "Get on the BALL!" is a direct reference to the railroad standard. The system was also the inspiration to the creation of the COSC (The Contrôle officiel suisse des Chronomètres) Certification in Swiss watches that is still used today.
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The Great Kipton Train Wreck
On April 19, 1891, a horrific crash between two trains took the lives of 8 people and the train depot of Kipton sustained heavy damages. All of it because a mail train was just 4 minutes off due to the train conductor's mechanical watch malfunctioning.
Before then, American train companies agreed to divide the nation into 4 separate time zones and created Standard Time in 1883. (This concept wasn't recognized by US congress until 1918.)
This would all change with the Great Kipton Crash. Concerned with a calamity like this happening again, the General Superintendent of Lake Shore Lines called on Ohio jeweler and watchmaker Webster Clay Ball to be the Chief Inspector for the train Lines. After all, he was the first watchmaker to use accurate time signals for the city of Cleveland.
His rigorous and strict inspection system was a game changer. The checks were only done by approved watchmakers and did not allow variations of our 30 seconds a day. The system was so good it was soon adopted across the entire US, Mexico, and Canada.
Thus, the creation of the Railroad STANDARD was born. Everyone knew that if you asked for the time from a railroad employee, you're getting the right answer. The saying, "Get on the BALL!" is a direct reference to the railroad standard. The system was also the inspiration to the creation of the COSC (The Contrôle officiel suisse des Chronomètres) Certification in Swiss watches that is still used today.
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