BALL Watch Company

BALL Watch Company was incorporated in 1891 by Webb C. Ball in Cleveland, Ohio. On April 19, 1891, a fatal head-on train collision in Kipton, Ohio occurred because an engineer's watch had stopped for four minutes. Webb C. Ball was appointed Chief Time Inspector by the railroads to establish strict timekeeping standards. He created the 'RR Standard' certification, requiring watches to meet criteria including accuracy within 30 seconds per week, adjustment to at least five positions, minimum 17 jewels, and lever-set mechanisms. He also established the BALL Time Service, requiring railroad employees to have watches inspected every two weeks. These standards later influenced the Swiss COSC chronometer certification. The company transitioned to Swiss manufacturing and today operates from La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. In 2015, Ball Watch produced 5,031 COSC-certified chronometers.