Railroad Pocket Watches

I have a Swiss (Catorex) 17 jewel "Veritable Montre Chemin De Fer"- translation: "genuine railway watch" made for Aster/Fulgurex back in the mid-1990's.

No lever set, but sweep second hand & heavy-duty case. Movement is precision Swiss.

NOT a Hamilton 950 or 992, but NICE!

Art,

A  17 jewel watch with sweep second hand & Swiss Movement! The quality is in the movement, not the name. There are those who would argue the point. To those, all one can say is..."RCI"

Pappy:

I purchased it from an Aster dealer at the Small Scale Live Steam meet in Diamondhead, MS in 1996. It came with a nice chain and fob plus a nice gray soft case with a folding flap. I have since added a gold plated chain. A few years ago, I had it cleaned and lubed at a watch repair shop while I waited. The internal movement was quite fascinating. The watchmaker stated that it was well made.

And here ya go!  Thanks Rich!

Glad this thread is back.

And, how about a nice Waltham non-magnetic Crescent St to get things going again?

A picture of my father's "Gentleman's" watch with chain, fairystone charm and original box.

Dad's father took him to the Hamilton factory and purchased a watch for each of them. My grandfather bought a 992B which I also have, but, it is nothing elegant like this one. Dad's initials are also engraved on the back. I particularly like the clip and how it attaches to a vest.

I went back and looked through all these thread.  A really great history lesson.  

I have something similar to this watch stored away with my grandfathers stuff.  He had this and a lot of other watches - he collected watches.  I think he bought it used.  Not sure.  He carried this one in a pocket of his vest back in the 1950s (he was a judge and always wore a vest), then I think put it away when he got a wrist watch int he 1960s.

The closest I have everyday is this Ball Union Pacific Big boy Commemorative watch, which is the watch I wear all the time now.  I had looked for several years before finding one (not on-line, I wanted to see and touch before buying something so pricey).  Great watch although it gains about 3 minutes a week.  It has an picture of a big boy enboosed on the back, but what I like most is the UP Crest of the face. 

That is a beautiful watch Jim, what a wonderful item to have.

The following link was just sent to me by a friend in the U.K.

24 Supercompensation Watch

I also wear one of the "new production" Ball wristwatches (The Trainmaster model, with the RR dial), and have had it back to the local dealer about ten times. Although it certainly is an outstanding LOOKING wristwatch, it looses at least 20 seconds a day. I have learned to live with it, but if I need to wear a REALLY accurate wristwatch, I use my "Railroad Approved" Seiko, electric.

Wow....what a fascinating Phillipe Patek watch, Jim (in the BBC link). It has two train up/ train down functions, amongst its many others. I wonder if they mean that in the British sense, as in "up to" and "down from" London (or New York)?

Very nice!! What a score!

I own six of the,"Railroad Approved" electrics. It's hard to say which is my favorite. I own Seiko, Pulsar, Bulova "Accutron". Each holds the correct time to the second even when stored.

God Bless,

"Pappy"

So does my TIMEX!

 Well it had to happen sooner or later! Thanks to this thread, after 20 years of twisting, I got the back of my Waltham to spin today. I have two others for you to peek at too. Each one of those has a story, one short one long, that explains their present condition. Two stories, and photos of all, will be in my next post here. Camera is charging.

 First, its case a Philadelphia/Keystone case with Native American head in feathered headdress for a logo. Case #408494. (camera is charging, thought Id lay down some words, post photos tomorrow) It was My Grandfathers.

  The backside is engraved with a ten wheeler & tender, but has faded, worn like an old coin from sliding on cloth. Dial face is has just Waltham, small second dial, no 6 at all,0-60 by fives in red on the outer edge of hours, and numbering font similar to the Waltham "revolgnad" posted on page one.

  The 1917 12o' clock pendant set, works are #20962396 17 jewels similar to those seen here.

L A M N is a crude, hand done job, and letters are in proper location here, but actually inverted on the watch. 

     N           <NEMO>

    M           warrantied

    A          20 years

L         

7      5

5   6

3 2

1

    <--(head)

408494

StillTicking!

20 seconds a day! Yikes! The movements (ETA & Sellita) used by Ball are usually much more accurate than that. You may want to send it back to Ball for their review.

Anyways, I love this thread.

My uncle has some pocket watches from when my great Grandfather worked on the B&O back in the 1900's. I'll be sure to take some pictures and post.

It has been back to Ball multiple times, when it was under warranty, and even subsequently, to no avail. In fact, the OWNER of the jewelry store where we got it (an authorized Ball seller), has confided in me that they are now getting so many complaints concerning poor timekeeping, that he is seriously considering dropping the line.

Sorry to hear that. I know it would drive me up the wall. Odds are you could have a watchmaker put in a new movement (likely a ETA 2824 or 2892, or a Valjoux 7750 if a chronograph). Those movements go for $200 - $300 plus whatever the charge for installation and initial regulation. If not, you will have to live with resetting to 0 everyday (assuming it has a stop second function).

Don't want to make this into a non-train related thread, but I have a soft spot for a suffering horologist

Ok so here is mine.  It is a hand me down, I'm told, from a great great grandfather who was an engineer.  Supposedly the engine he ran is the one engraved on the back.  Its barely visible now.  It says Buren on it.

   This one is a 1956-57 Lord Elgin. It given to Great Grandpa B for his 35th year at Fords. He was an O gauge guy too. Early Lionel, Auburn, Kris.(nothing compared to his son in law, my Grandpa. Joke was Gramps was after the trains, not the girl)

Said it was the best he owned(?) I broke its winding stem "helping" him in 71 or 72

 I also have another watch I once tried to I.D. on watch sites It didn't go so well, no emails answered. Both sites felt "snooty". Maybe you can help? Its small. About 1 1/4". ??karat Gold, Crescent hunters case #1554592

3o clock pendent set. Works by Davis and Freeman, Atlanta Ga. #1975232

Its broken now, Broken off-gone rear ornate door/stand, one of two weighted spoked oscillating shafts or jewels. It still sports a stub of the very ornate hour hand. (sorry for the bad "tech talk", Im not a watch guy. I would know karat values if I get it tested, but I think she said it was tested 19k case, should be 24k hands, the minutes are embossed gold dots)

The how it was broke story if interested.... 

 It was once Great Grandma "B"s (Ojibwa forced gov't. camp, beat the pox blankets, died at 102-7yrs(?) in the 60's) She loved jewelry, and displayed this little gem proudly in turn of the century family photos. Later Grandma(her daughter), had to attempt to pawn it once, just to keep the heat on during the 1970s steel strikes.  The local pawn shop owner tried to say it was plated, and attempted a "forced sale" at a low ball price vs pawn(shop refused all pawns). After an offer was made to always buy solid gold, referring to the wedding band. PO'ed, Grandma broke the rear door off reveling solid gold for the scale. She was just shy of the money needed. The owner offered a slightly higher, still low ball offer, and she "lost it". Smashed the crystal on the counter, and ripped the gold hands out placing them on the scale. Walked out with a broken watch, but way more dignity than if she had sold it to him.

This last shot was with an eyeglass monocle to the camera! No matter what I do I cant pick up the "rose work" on this. Its very light, delicate, but intricate.

Mine, as I said, loses three minutes a week.  It's not an accurate watch, but otherwise I love it.  I like it mainly because it is a Ball.  I know its not the same company anymore it was way back when, but still . . . 

Here is my pocket watch.

You do realize that THAT is NOT a railroad grade pocket watch? It is pretty cool, however.

Although a very nice looking pocket watch, with that Hunting Case and only 17 jewels, it is NOT a railroad grade watch.

1.  Thank you, still haven't been able to pick up the ghostly rose work
2.  I know, but I'm guessing 1895-1902 from what I found out myself, by ads, not #(s)Plus seems D&F had a fire 1910. So although it likely only helped G.Grandma tell if the train she was traveling on was on time, I thought there wasn't a 100% acceptance of standards at that date. 
3.  But HW!, Its is an "O" sized watch!!   

Hey, if it doesn't lose 20 sec. a day, it beats a certain "railroad grade watch" to death! 

Adriatic,

Your watch is a Swiss private label made(obviously) for an Atlanta jeweler.

I'm not great at IDing Swiss watches, but taking a blind guess I'd say it's an Agassiz movement. It's often hard if not impossible to tell without completely taking down the watch to look for a maker's mark-it's often under the dial, or otherwise hidden.

When I'm "out on the railroad" I wear the $100 Seiko electric wristwatch, and carry one of my Hamilton 21 jewels 992b pocket watches.

I started collecting or acquiring at first, Railroad Pocketwatches. Including RR, I had at one time over 400 pocketwatches, but started selling them off. I have about 50 left, and been slling them/trading them for WW2 Firearms, and "O" scale items, (one way I been getting into this hobby).

Here's one of my Ball, originally carried by a UP Engineer, I bought it off his widow at an estate sale, runs and keeps excellent time.

A 21j Illinois "Santa Fe Special". I bought this watch 2nd hand in Topeka, and got it watch carded so I could use it on the job. I carried it some, but most of the time used an Accutron 214. Later I went digital like every one else when the requirements for RR approved watches went away.

Back in May I posted a photo of the watch my wife's grandfather had (back on page 7).

Where do you guys take your watches to get serviced?  Any idea on an average cost?

I hope it's less than my 1970s Omega, cost me way more than I paid for it to get it fixed (and haven't gotten it back yet, took it in back in November).  I could take the RR watch to the same place I took the Omega, but after hearing what it's going to cost I may want to try somewhere else

Sounds exactly like the "few moments" term used throughout the airline industry. All my years of flying for business, I could NEVER get any airline employee to explain exactly what a "moment" was, nor what constituted "a few"!

A moment is a unspecified time span, and a few is more than 2.

I'm sure that clears it all up, and satisfies. Right? Just be glad they didn't say "shortly". 

My immediate response is always "Pillow please!" ....Again?.

who says old dogs can't learn new tricks?!?!?!

I just NOW figured out how to set the time on this Ball watch I have.

I first thought all I needed to do was to pull out the winder (like on new watches) and set the hands, but I finally realized it's a lever-set watch.  Got the front bezel off this morning and set the watch, now to see if it keeps good time!

Still haven't removed the back to get more details about the watch...small steps.

Bob,

Did you ever remove the back of that watch yet?

Joe, not yet.  After I learned how to wind it and set time I figured that was enough for now.

As an aside, my refurbished Omega Sea Master runs like a, well, Swiss watch.  The jewelers had to send it back to the Omega in Switzerland and they did a fine job on it, looks brand new.

I may try again on the back of the RR watch, I would like to know all the details about it.