Since 1891, BALL Watch Company has been producing mechanical timepieces that comply with the most stringent criteria for precision, quality and reliability. As pioneer of chronometry standards and with a rich past closely associated with the history of the American railroads, BALL Watch remains one of the most respected and well established watch brands in the United States.

The most adverse conditions can give rise to the greatest achievements. The history of BALL watches is inseparable from that of the railroad pioneers. Indeed, the BALL Watch adventure began on 19th April 1891 with the tragic railroad accident in Kipton (Ohio) in the United States. This catastrophic head-on collision between two trains resulted in eight fatalities. This disaster has left a lasting impression, all the more so since it was due to the inaccuracy of the watch belonging to one of the trains’ engineers.

The main American railroad companies then entrusted the watchmaker Webster Clay Ball (1847 - 1922) of Cleveland (Ohio) with the responsibility of establishing strict chronometric precision standards for all watches used by railroad employees. As “Chief Time Inspector”, he took to creating a time standardization system based on extremely strict criteria of accuracy and reliability. In order to maintain the accuracy of the railroad network, he also created the “BALL Time Service”. Employing more than 1,800 inspectors and over 75% of the railroads in America, it allowed to regularly check the timepieces of all rail employees. The requirements of Webb C. Ball were of such validity that they inspired later in 1973 the Swiss Society of Chronometry (COSC) for the establishment of its own chronometric certification standards which are still applied today.

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