The History of Ball Watch
BALL Watch was founded in 1891 in Cleveland, OH, by Webster Clay Ball. A native son of the Buckeye State, Webb C. Ball was born in Fredericktown in 1847 and grew up to apprentice as a jeweler. In 1891, Ball was appointed Chief Inspector for the Lake Shore Lines railroad after the Kipton Disaster, a fatal collision of two trains in Kipton, OH, caused by inaccurate timekeeping. Ball was charged with creating a standardized system for all watches used by train conductors and railroad workers. In time, Ball’s rigorous inspection system extended to 75% of the United States, as well as railroads in Mexico and Canada. With the growth of the railroad industry nationwide, the need for standardized time became so important that by 1918 Congress adopted the system of time zones that we still use today.Ball’s legacy of accuracy and uniformity in timekeeping is unparalleled. Now, BALL Watch continues as one of the most respected watch brands in the U.S. and beyond.
text us with questions
