Ball History?

[Scott D]

So doing some research on our newest brand forum, I read that Ball didn't actually make watches until the 90's when the rights to use the Ball name was sold to the current owners. Until then, Ball set the standards of which the watches should be manufactured to and the watches were made for them by others originally by Waltham, and then followed later by Elgin and others such as Hamilton, Illinois, E. Howard & Hampden along with Waltham and Elgin, made & branded the watches as Ball for them to sell.

Yet even today, the standards used by COSC to certify are based on W.C. Balls original specifications & standards. So the roots of COSC certification can be directly tied to W.C Ball.

So am I stating that properly?


Oh, an a little trivia fact dug up:

The colloquial phrase "on the ball" purportedly derives from Webb C. Ball's watch standards and their reputation for accuracy.

Now that's information you can use! ;D

[visionaryct]

Accordinging to a new book I just got "A Movement in Time with Breitling & Rolex an Unauthorized History" by Mark A Cooper, The section at the back has the history of all other makes and includes Ball. 1991 the Ball family sold the company. It also covers the train disaster and Webb. C Ball.
The book claims Ball did produce a movement in 1934-41, this movement was similair to the Hamilton Movement, Although in 1941 Ball switch to Swiss movements.
A full history of the Ball watch company is actually at the publishers now. It has been written by Jeffrey Hess the Co author of The Best of Time Rolex (known as the Rolex Bible)

[foghorn]

visionaryct said:

I meant in 1941 ball switches to Swiss movements

Thanks for the info!!