Ball-Waltham 16S 19J LS adj. 5p BofLE Official Railroad Standard pocket watch #B239132, YGF case

Ball-Waltham 16S 19J LS adj. 5p BofLE Official Railroad Standard pocket watch #B239132, YGF case

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$3,450.00
EJ236: Thank you for your interest! This item has been sold as of 09/24.
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  • Full Description
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  • Running Condition
  • Railroad Grade Info
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Ball-Waltham 16S 19J lever set (LS) adj. 5p BofLE (Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers) Official Railroad Standard pocket watch #B239132, impressive nickel split plate movement with screw-down raised gold jewel settings (GJS), diamond endstone, gold center wheel and a concentric circle damascene pattern, movement is also set with a gold circle inlay engraved with "BLE", porcelain enamel dial with fancy Arabic-style numbers and a black marked subsidiary seconds register is marked "Trade Mark B of LE Standard Ball & Co, Cleveland", dial has a faint hairline between the center post and seconds bit and a small chip at the edge near the lever, blue steel spade style hands.

Re-cased into a Ball Official RR Standard model yellow gold filled (YGF) screw back & bezel (SB&B) case with a smooth polish back outlined with a ring of engraving near the stepped bezel and a fancy blank monogram shield at 12 o'clock, square and curls engraved designs on both bezels, a short heavy pendant and a stirrup-style bow, case is showing normal even wear overall however there is a thin line of brass showing on the front bezel, spots of brass on the bow and some smoothing to the engraving on the back in places, measures approx. 51mm in diameter x 65mm in length x 14mm thick (crystal included). A very high quality, triple signed Ball watch from the early 1900s with a customization for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in excellent overall condition!

Please note: for this particular item, due to U.S. export limitations, we can only ship to domestic U.S. addresses.
  • Year Made: 1907-1908
  • Company: Ball-Waltham
  • Movement Size: 0516S
  • Jewels: 0919J
  • Setting/Movement Type: lever set
  • Adjustments: 5 positions
  • Model/Grade: BofLE Official Railroad Standard
  • Serial #: B239132
  • Movement Finish: nickel
  • Movement Details: diamond endstone, gold jewel settings (GJS), screw-down jewel settings, gold center wheel, gold inlay engraved "BLE"
  • Dial Material: porcelain enamel
  • Dial Details: marked "B of LE"
  • Hand Style: spade
  • Case Style: SB&B
  • Case Material: Gold Filled - Yellow
  • Case Details: factory case, re-cased, Ball "Official RR Standard" model, stirrup-style bow
  • Case Width/Diameter: 51mm (2.01 inches)
  • Case Length, bow included:  65mm (2.56 inches)
  • Case Thickness:  14mm (0.55 inches)
  • Crystal Material: plastic
  • Misc. Info: Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
  • Condition: Excellent
  • Gender: Gentlemen's
The Ball Watch Company, out of Cleveland, Ohio, was founded in 1879, but it was after a tragic train collision in 1891 (due to what is believed to have been a problem with one engineer's watch not keeping accurate time) that the company began the task of standardizing what we now term Railroad Grade Watches. This detailed article about the collision discusses the event, and the lasting repercussions to our modern transit and timekeeping systems.

In 1893, Ball sold their first watches; however, it is an interesting note to this company that they never manufactured a watch, but rather had specific timing and design guidelines for watches that were then produced by the following other companies: Aurora, Elgin, Hamilton, Hampden, N.Y. Watch, E. Howard, Illinois, Seth Thomas,Vacheron & Constantin and Waltham. While many of these companies produced high grade and railroad grade quality watches for their own sales, the watches produced for the Ball company were standardized for both mechanical and cosmetic features, and were not representative of each of the individual company aesthetics.

The Ball company continued to sell Ball Model watches until 1969, and was also a driving factor in helping to standardize timing specifications across North America as technologies improved.

For additional reference, we've posted a Serial Number Production List which includes information for Ball serial numbers and dates of manufacture.
The NAWCC also has a comprehensive article about the company; additional information may also be found on Wikipedia.
You may browse all of our men's pocket watches from this manufacturer at our Vintage Men's Ball Pocket Watches category.
This watch is in good running condition, unless otherwise noted in the description. This means that on receipt, pending any item-specific running conditions noted in the description, you can expect the watch to be winding and setting properly and to run smoothly while keeping reasonable time. We consider "reasonable time" to meet these basic guidelines:
  • Railroad Grade Watches will be keeping +/- 5 minutes per day
  • Pocket and Wrist Watches with 15 or more jewels will be keeping +/- 10 minutes per day
  • All key wind watches and watches with 14 or fewer jewels will be keeping +/- 15 minutes per day
The above guideline is the lowest standard in which we would ship out a watch, however in most cases, you will see much better timekeeping. Most of our watches have been in storage for many years, so if you plan on carrying/wearing them everyday, you should consider having them cleaned and oiled soon, and then once a year thereafter to keep them in top running condition. If the watches will be for occasional use or display, they should be cleaned and serviced every 3 to 5 years depending on use.

As of December 21st, 2024, we are not offering a cleaning and service option through PM Time Service. While we do hope to offer this again in the future, we are unfortunately unable to meet customer requests for watch servicing at this time. Please note that, unless otherwise mentioned within the "Full Description" tab, this watch is being sold in good running condition and is ready to wear or carry on arrival.
This is considered a "railroad-grade" pocket watch. To be a railroad-grade watch, the following criteria must be met:
  • be 16S or 18S
  • have 17 or more jewels
  • be lever set
  • be in an open face case
  • be adjusted to 5 or more positions.
  • have easily-legible Arabic dial numerals
In order to ensure the accuracy of pocket watches used by railroad employees, with the ultimate goal of preventing train accidents, the General Railroad Timepiece Standards Commission published a set of guidelines for railroad companies and watch manufacturers in 1893. These guidelines, which specified the criteria for a railroad-grade watch, were prepared by Webb C. Ball, the general time inspector of North American railroads and founder of the Ball Watch Company.

For more information, visit this Wikipedia article on railroad chronometers or this Smithsonian National Postal Museum article on the influential train wreck tragedy that resulted in the establishment of railroad watch standards.

Our entire collection of such timepieces may also be viewed at our Railroad Grade Watches category.
Unlike modern quartz watches, most vintage watches need daily winding in order to keep the watch functioning for timekeeping. Additionally, there are a number of different ways to set the time other than simply pulling the crown away from the watch body. We are happy to provide an overview of each of the different setting types on our "How To Use" page, where we also provide information on proper winding techniques for each style and some suggestions for the proper long term care and storage of your watch.

For additional information on gold colors and how they are classified, please check out this helpful Wikipedia article.

For your gift giving convenience, please find a consolidated overview of the information on this item, with no reference to the price, on this printer-optimized page.

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  • Understanding Our Descriptions
  • Return Policy
  • Payment & Shipping
We process a very large number of watches and accessories each year for sale via our website, eBay and local avenues. We attempt to offer descriptions and photos that are as complete and clear as possible on each item, and we always encourage you to write us with questions if something is not addressed in the description!

In each description, we attempt to note the following things:
<maker><size><jewels><setting><adjustments><grade/model><serial number>, <movement information>, <dial information>, <hand information>, <case information>, <misc. information>, <overall condition and comments>

Taking an example of a watch already described, we've bracketed the different sections and ordered them as above:
<Ball-Hamilton> <16S> <21J> <LS> <adj.> <Official RR Standard> <#B651197>, <nickel movement with gold jewel settings and concentric circle damascene pattern, should be noted that the gears on the movement may not be all original however watch is running strong and not affecting running condition>, <porcelain Ball marked dial with Arabic numbers has very faint hairline (not distracting)>, <blue steel hands>, <beautiful YGF SB&B Ball marked case with engraved bezels and blank monogram shield showing normal even wear (no brass)>, <fancy bow>. <High grade Ball watch in very good condition, perfect to carry everyday!>

We also provide a List of Abbreviations that we use in our descriptions, as well as a Pocket Watch Sizing Chart that explains numerically and graphically the various sizes of pocket watches that we offer.
We offer a 30-day return period beginning the day you receive your items for all PM Time Service merchandise. To receive a full refund, the item must be return in "as shipped" condition, with no new personalized engravings or end-user adaptions. Items damaged in transit will be eligible for the full refund pending the application of the insurance claim on the damaged watch or item. Please see our Shipping & Return Policy page for full details.
Holiday & Vacation Dates - Unless otherwise noted on our holiday page, you can expect an order placed to be processed and shipped out within 2-3 business days, often much sooner. If you need an item quickly, please do double check our holiday page to make sure we will be in the office!

Please use the "Estimate Your Shipping" button on the Shopping Basket page to get a specific quote on your current shipping fees. The estimate will be available once you have added at least one (1) item to your shopping cart.

In order to provide a fair and secure shipping experience for our customers, and protect your valuable purchases, we include full insurance for the total value of your order with all items purchased. At this time, we do not allow for a customer to opt-out of insurance on their shipments. Details may be found at our Shipping, Insurance, & Return Policy page.

We are happy to accept credit cards and PayPal, as well as checks and money orders, for payment on all orders.

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