| A rare dial with the seconds dial located at 12 & not 6. Measures approx 44mm in diameter, dial feet set at approx 3 & 9, two tiny marks between 6 & 7 otherwise very nice condition. HNCO is one of the leading sellers of Pocket watches on eBay Australia, with over 140+ Pocket watches on offer. We are constantly adding to our ever increasing range and have a large assortment of American Railroad Grade Pocket Watches. American Railroad Pocket watches were amongst the highest grade watches made, having been made for the railways makes them a great choice to use every day, mainly for their durability over time. Their lower production quantities and of course their high grade movements make them also a great gift or investment.
A typical railroad's requirements for a pocket watch in the early 20th century might include:
- Only American-made watches may be used (depending on availability of spare parts).
- Only open-faced dials, with the stem at 12 o’clock.
- Minimum of 17 functional jewels in the movement.
- Size 16 or 18 only.
- Maximum variation of 30 seconds (approximately 4 seconds daily) per weekly check.
- Watch adjusted to at least five positions: Face up and face down (the positions a watch might commonly take when laid on a flat surface); then crown up, crown pointing left, and crown pointing right (the positions a watch might commonly take in a pocket). Occasionally a sixth position, crown pointing down, would be included.
- Adjusted for severe temperature variance and isochronism (variance in spring tension)
- Indication of time with bold legible Arabic numerals, outer minute division, second dial, heavy hands.
- Lever used to set the time (no risk of inadvertently setting the watch to an erroneous time, when winding the watch with the stem)
- Breguet balance spring
- Micrometer adjustment regulator
- Double roller escapement
- Steel escape wheel
- Anti-magnetic protection (after the advent of diesel-electric locomotives)
The minimum requirements were raised several times as watch-making technology progressed, and the watch companies produced newer, even more reliable models. By WW2, many railroads required watches that were of a much higher grade (as many as 23 jewels, for example) than those made to comply with the original 1891 standard.
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