I recently picked this watch up in a lot of watches that I bought. I could not find the serial number P827576 in the pocket watch database substituting 52 for the P. 19 jewels and 6 adjustments - would this be considered a Railroad Grade watch? It is lever set. Any info would be helpful.

Movement

Lindell, thank you for that wealth of information

Elgin was still supplying the Mexico market with the 527 which was a 19j 16s adj3p and you can find the 527 with the 24hr dial and if I am not mistaken the 572 was the replacement for the 527. You will also find some Buren Swiss watches that were used for Mexican RR service that are only adjusted to 3 positions. So technically the 572 with a 24hr dial could have been used for service in Mexico, I think Hamilton, Ball and even Elgin (658 Swiss) provided 19-23j watches to the Mexico RR market that were adjusted to 3 or more positions. For the US market the 572 was never allowed as far as I know for RR service but with the correct 24hr dial it could have been used in Mexico for RR service. Maybe some others can jump on this topic and for the record I have some Elgin 527s with the 24hr dials.

I have two 527 with the 24hr dials and with a 10yr gold filled case which was pretty typical of these Mexican export RR watches from Elgin. It seems the Burens were either 21 or 23 jewel, I know Hamilton had a branded version or two that were Swiss variants. I think by 49 the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) was one of the last class 1 lines to go to the 21j and adj5p requirement. I did find some reference to what the prior requirements were, see below, I looked and the 572 serial number starts in 1946, so maybe up to 1949 you could have had a 572 and used it on the CB&Q line but that would have not have happened universally. I think Santa Fe had switched some time in the 30's, most of the east coast had long since changed to 21 and adj5p during the late late 20's early 30's with just a few stragglers like CB&Q waiting until after the war. On that topic the CB&Q may have been part of the relaxing of more stringent RR watch rules because of the shortage of materials and capacity during the WW2 years which had some impact on the availability of new RR approved pocket watches for the US market. I agree with Lindell I don't consider the grade 572 a US RR approved watch but there maybe a one in a few million chance that someone has a 572 with a CB&Q RR inspection card, my chances of hitting the mega lotto are probably better.


CB&Q RULE

Rules Governing Watch Inspection Service of This Company

April 1, 1949


2. The minimum standard of WATCHES NOW IN SERVICE is a grade equal to what is known among American Railroad Movements as "NICKEL 17-JEWELS, BREGUET HAIRSPRING, PATENT REGULATOR, LEVER SET, ADJUSTED TO TEMPERATURE AND THREE POSITIONS," that will run within a variation of thirty seconds per week