The American Railroad and Accutron

In 1891, a train wreck outside of Cleveland proved fatal, and the culprit? A pocket watch that was running four minutes slow. Enter Accutron and their railroad approved watches.

March 17, 2021

In 1804 the world saw the first ever steam locomotive. In the world of pocket watches, morning dresses, and breeches, the locomotive was revolutionary. Large, powerful, and loud it barreled down it’s tracks with a seemingly unlimited weight limit to the times. Of course the world was fascinated, they were witnessing one of the most revolutionary forms of transportation yet. The locomotive became the star of the world, it’s picture was plastered in every paper and it was the talk of the town. It was the villain in some movies and comic relief in others. Most importantly though, it was an uncompromising machine. It’s grand weight made braking a monumental task and it forced the world to adapt. A schedule shift couldn’t do what a new time-zoning system could and a time-zoning system was only as good as the time that was kept. Because of this, it didn’t take long for tragedy to strike. In 1891, a wreck outside of Cleveland, Ohio proved fatal, taking the lives of 11 people, and the culprit? A pocket watch that was running four minutes slow. Enter Accutron and their railroad approved watches.

From Accutron:
The “R.R.-O”, first launched in 1970, has been reimagined as part of the Legacy collection from Accutron. The uniquely faceted stainless steel railroad case design has a crown placement at 4 o’clock, features bold Arabic numerals, a bright white dial, with a 0 at the 12-hour mark to meet Canadian Railroad specs, and a red second hand for accurate monitoring, as well as a calendar feature. The black leather strap completes the classic look, for a bold design that is just as reliable as it is stylish. The Swiss-made 26-jewel movement guarantees reliability.