I have several hankerings. I'm thinking about the Ultraman Speedy Tuesday, and I've been waiting for several years for Rolex to put a ceramic bezel on the Explorer II.

But lately I have developed in interest in a Ball watch. I'm not even sure which one yet, but the back story has captivated me. I'm leaning toward the Engineer II or maybe the Trainmaster. Two very different looks. The Engineer II looks like the Explorer I to me, but with the date window I so covet.

The backstory comes from an historical plaque near the Kipton, Ohio train station:

On April 19, 1891, a head-on collision between two trains of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Company occurred at the Kipton depot. Eight people lost their lives, and the depot was heavily damaged. The crash occurred when a fast mail train heading east near Kipton and a passenger train going west from Elyria collided. The passenger train was supposed to let the mail train go by, but the conductor had not realized that his watch had stopped for four minutes and then restarted. As a result the passenger train was late getting to the stopping point. Looking into the matter, the railway company enlisted Webb C. Ball, a well-known Cleveland jeweler, to investigate time and watch conditions throughout its lines. Ball instituted the current railroad industry's timekeeping program, which specified watches trainmen could use. His attention to accuracy and promptness led to the well-known saying, "Get on the Ball."

 

@Raz47
I’ve got a NIB ST Ultraman... it’s been quietly for sale.

 

Oh, Lordy! I'm still mulling this one, but the temptation...

 

Bathroom tissue ... if I can find any.

 

Waiting for Apollo 13 50th list to open... And hoping to add a Rolex DeepSea D-blue whenever it becomes available.
Other watches on the list, but not feeling yet comfortable to pull the trigger as they are vintage and need to learn more about them first.

 

Just hit me up. Going at my cost plus shipping.

 

Am thinking about whether to get one of the Speedy Pros before the movement gets upgraded... anyone else considering?

Alternatively, Zenith. Just trying to get my first chrono

 

Ball Watch company - An American watch company originally, now based in Switzerland and owned by a group from Hong Kong...

If you like the watches, then by all means get on board that train, but if it's the "history" that is driving your purchase, I'm not sure the current company has anything to do with the original Ball company. I suspect that this is another name brought back by someone to capitalize on that history.

Cheers, Al

 

Buy it if you like it. The world is awash with old, resurrected names that have nothing to do with the original companies. It's the power of branding.

 

I mean he could always be looking for vintage Balls. I suspect he's in the right place for that

 

That's damn disappointing. Like Nokia phones now. Nokia sold the name to HMD/Foxconn and has zero to do with them now. HMD now just slaps a Nokia badge on their phones for the gravitas Nokia used to command. Same deal with Ball Watches? Oy vey. I do appreciate the info though. Even if the news disappoints, it's better to know than to bask in ignorance.

 

Take a look at RGM in Pennsylvania. Really nice watches made right here in the USA.