I was talking to a new customer whose Dad worked for The Grand Trunk Railroad out of Battle Creek, MI, now out of business, owened by the Canadian National.

I was a little suprised to learn that they could NOT have a pocket watch with a glass crystal. The reason being that, if they were to break the crystal the little pieces could get into the watch and cause it to stop. He is not a collector, just someone who wanted a 992B in a # 15 SS case like his dads. It also had the TZ hands.

Just curious what other people who worked, or knew someone who worked for the railroad, thought about this. AND if that is the case, then why do we go so crazy looking to put the glass crystal back in them.

Regards,
Larry

Larry you can also find some railroads (off hand I think Santa Fe comes to mind) that did not allow plastic or acrylic crystals since you could lean on something and depress the crystal enough to damage the hands. That is why you find some old nickel cases with 2-4mm thick flat glass crystals since to break them would require some serious effort.

In the end different railroads sometimes have different regulations. The earlier plastic crystals were basically junk and in the end would yellow and damage the watch (rusting hands and pinions) the later harder acrylic crystals are better but in the end I like glass better.

If this person wanted the watch to be like how is dad carried it then his only option is an acrylic crystal and that is fine also.

Besides certain railroads, a lot of military watch specifications also called for "unbreakable" (i.e. acrylic) crystals.

But all acrylic crystals are not created equal, so if you're going to use one, get one of the thicker beveled ones that resembles a glass crystal.

But most collectors prefer glass crystals because they look better and to be authentic, as that's the way the vast majority of 992B's were originally sold.

Thank you for your answers.

So that would mean that, one would have had to change the crystal out of there watch when they bought it. He had a 992B, which I was pretty sure came from the factory with glass, and was working for the railroad still when they started using the approved wristwatches.

Thanks again.

Regards,
Larry

One would wonder if the inspector he dealt with, knowing this was the requirement of the railroad he was contracted thru, required the 992B's to be shipped from Hamilton with the proper acrylic crystal, if that was even an option? That or he had to replace them befor even offering them to the customers.....

Just thinking out loud.....

Regards! Mark

If you do some digging you will see that acrylic plastic was not released for market until 1933 by Rohm&Haas and the plastics used prior to this time had many flaws, yellowing, a bit flimsy, easy to scratch, just to name a few. So I doubt that any watches prior to 1933 (probably mid 30's) would have had plastic crystals, and if I was making a bet I would say that the cost of a glass crystal was less than the acrylic crystals probably into the 40's after the war was over. I have nice watches with both but prefer glass crystals over the acrylics.