What is a railroad watch?


Seems like a simple question. I mean, really, just what is a railroad watch?

A sidenote here: These watches are sometimes referred to as "standard watches" because they met the railroads standard requirements.

As it turns out, it isn't such an easy question to answer.

First, what are we talking about


Almost as soon as railroads began to operate, it became clear that structure was needed to keep all involved safe. Contrary to popular belief there was no single event or commission that decided once and for all what the requirements of a railroad watch were.

Rather, those guidelines came together over time.

Here is a good, general guide to the guidelines that most railroads over a large period of American railroading history abided by:

  • American made 18 or 16 size
  • Fitted with 17 or more jewels
  • Temperature compensated
  • Adjusted to 5 positions
  • Lever Set
  • Timed to +/- 30 sec/week
  • Fitted with a:
  •     Double roller
  •     Patented regulator
  •     Steel escape wheel
  •     Plain while dial (but "Silvered" dials were allowed through the teens) having:
  •         Black Arabic numerals
  •         Each minute delineated
  • Open face
  • Configured with the winding stem at 12 O'clock

So it sounds simple. What is a railroad watch? Any watch that meets those standards. Right? Except not.

A loose definition


Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, those definitions morphed over time to include various other requirements. Different rail lines began to employ their own specific requirements.

And some older watches were 'grandfathered' in if they met older specs, but newer watches had to meet the latest specs.

So the most accurate answer to, "What is a railroad watch?" is:

A railroad watch is any watch that was accepted for railroad time service at the time of its production.

The most commonly recognized railroad watches are those made by Hamilton, Elgin and Waltham

Conclusion


So what is a railroad watch? Railroad time service requirements preceded the American watch industry.  Rules were in place as early as 1849 and by the mid-1850's a number of railroads had some form of program.  

But whatever the number of jewels or other requirements, the key requirement was to keep time within 30 seconds per week.