Webster C. BallOn April 19, 1891, The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway train left a stop near Kipton, Ohio, just as it did every day. There was nothing to suggest that this trip would forever change how the American railroad companies operated. The local passenger train from the east was behind schedule and instead of waiting at Oberlin for the fast mail train to pass by from the west, it went on to Kipton. As the story is told, the mail train came around the curve from the west going forty-five miles anhour and since the engineer's view was blocked by the freight on the siding, he did not see the passenger train in time to slow down. Consequently, the train ran head-on with the other in a disastrous collision that left eight dead, including engineers, a fireman and three postal clerks, and left several injured. The investigation established that the cause of the accident had been a slow watch belonging to one of the engineers.It became clear that something had to be done. In 1893, after two years, the railroad finally adopted standards for the watches used by their personnel. Over the next 76 years this led to the creation of over 400 new models and ultimately changed the way America viewed watches.It also led to the birth of the controversial Ball Dynasty. Webb C. Ball was a jeweler in Cleveland who was interested in precision timekeeping. As the story goes, he brought the first marine chronometer to Cleveland and exhibited it in his shop window. The phrase "Ball's time" became synonymous with accurate time. After the Kipton disaster, Ball was chosen to be Chief Inspector, responsible for modernizing the time policies of the Lake Shore Lines. The regulations stated that "no employee wille permitted to go on duty until his watch fulfills standard". These standards, set by Ball, were as follows: 1. Only American watches were allowed 2. Open face with stem at 12 o'clock 3. 16 or 18 size only 4. 17 jewels minimum 5. Weekly variation of less than 30 seconds (about 4 seconds daily) 6. Adjusted to 5 positions 7. Dial with bold Arabic numerals, heavy hands, outer minute divisions, subsidiary seconds. 8. Lever-set 9. Breguet balance spring 10. Micrometer regulator 11. Double roller 12. Steel escape wheelThese were high standards. Certain European watches could have satisfied them, but European watches were expensive and Ball believed that foreign manufacturers would not be able to supply spare parts on a continuous basis. And he was right, for interchangeability at that time was still an American monopoly. Ball established the Bureau of Railroad Time Service, The Ball Watch Company, The Ball Railroad Standard Watch Co., and two other companies. He registered 27 trademarks, 7 designs and three ptents in the United States. Since other countries were not allowed to take part in the enterprise, it did not matter if they copied Ball's designs or not. Most American railroad companies started using Ball's service and he became a very wealthy man in a relatively short period of time.The railroad standards forced watch companies to update old models and to create new and improved ones. New companies were established to produce watches according to the railroad (i.e. Ball) standards; Hamilton in 1892, Keystone-Howard and South Bend shortly thereafter. Taking advantage of his position, Ball convinced most of the American watch companies to make watches according to his designs (always patented), which were stamped with his logo and name, and usually engraved "Official RR Standrd". These were superb timekeeping machines, typically with larger balances and weaker mainsprings.An energetic and talented marketer, Webster C. Ball understood the need for quality and robust timekeepers, and possessed the means to satisfy this need on a global scale. He was a major catalyst towards the creation of the world's first affordable precision watch.The story that Ball made watches with De Long escapement using 23-jewel model could not be confirmed until the arrearance of the current example. Watches with De Long escapement have been known. Hamilton and Illinois made some in a limited run, probably less than 100. Hamilton employed them in its 21-jewel model. No other Ball example is known. This watch was purchased by Morris Alister Ball, probably a son of Webb C. Ball.Charles De Long (1871-1942)was very talented engineer/watchmaker, working first for the Mc. Intire Watch Co, and subsequently for the Illinois Watch Co. The latter must have held him in very high regards, since in 1919 the company sent him to Switzerland to iunvestigate new developments in the Swiss watch industry that could be beneficial for Illinois.He invented his semicircular upright lever escapement probably about 1915, judging by the initial patent dated July 25, 1916. During the following years he improved the design as seen in his second patent No. 1327226 of January 6, 1920. Most likely the months spent in Switzerland in 1919 and hundreds of discussions with eminent Swiss horologists catalyzed his changes. The advantage of this escapement is to have strong draw and no recoil. The idea was not new. Charles Fasoldt had it in mind constucting his escapement (see lot No. 179), which, however, was unidirectional. It appears that the De Long escapement, if set properly, gives excellent performance, it also has the advantage that the lift can be easily adjusted by a skillful watchmaker and disadvantage that in hands of unskilled one it might cease to function.