G'Day,
I had never come across this watch before and wondered if anyone could shed some light on it.
I'm well aware of the various Bulova wrist watch model movements that were employed in Canadian RR employment from the late 70's into the 90's, but had never come across this PW dated 1980.
...........Thanks........Joe........

Dial......

Movement.......

Carrying mine 'as we speak'. Purchased in 1982 new from a jeweler in Portsmouth, Ohio.

They WERE used on railroads, though never listed as 'accepted' on any particular road.

Our jeweler carried them for the N&W yard workers and road men. A lot of men had to start using quartz watches, but weren't fans of wrist watches as they got beat to death on the sides of equipment. Pocket watches were best suited for yard work. This one filled the bill.

Mine is in a stainless steel case, and keeps perfect time to this day.

I believe Chris Abell told me it was a ISA 1198 movement in mine.

I'll have to find the link to the story of mine that's buried around here somewhere.

Found the story buried in the 'who carried what' thread from 2016. Here's what I wrote:

"Yesterday I carried a 1982 Bulova Accutron RR Approved quartz pocket watch in stainless steel case for the first time in 28 years. Let me explain.....

In the early 80's I was working at an industrial plant videotaping large pieces of electrical equipment where I could not chance wearing one of my 3 pocket watches I owned at the time. I purchased said Bulova brand new from my local jeweler and carried it for a couple years, when the economy tanked and our area became part of the infamous 'rust belt' in the Ohio River Valley.

I moved my family to Florida for work, and in 1988 I sold my Accutron for grocery money to one of my wife's uncles who lived in South Florida and worked on a short line sugar cane railroad. That was the last time I saw the watch.

Fast forward to last month.....we long ago relocated to Tennessee for work, and last month went up to Kentucky for a visit. My wife's South Florida aunt and uncle had retired and moved back to Kentucky, so we stopped by to see their new house. During that visit, her uncle asked in passing if I remembered that watch, and of course I did. He said he had dropped it in the course of his work years ago and had 'broken the dial', and asked me if I wanted it? He'd be happy to just give it back to me as a keepsake. Of course I said 'YES!'

What was broken was NOT the dial, but the crystal! The back of the case was scratched badly, but otherwise, there was my watch!

I sent it down to Chris Abell to see if there was any hope for the piece, and literally within an hour of him receiving it in the mail, he sent me an email saying 'all done.'!! Huh? All he had to do was replace the crystal, buff out the scratches, and install a new battery! It fired up like brand new!

Yesterday was the first time I wore trousers with a watch pocket, and got to wear it to work again......after a 28 year absence and it actually working on a short line railroad for many of those years, it has returned home and is STILL keeping railroad time.

Nothing like the masterpieces shared here, but one with a REAL personal history. I'm pleased."

Regards! Mark

Great story Mark, that is a very ‘readable’ dial. As you say, great for working switching rail. Rings, wristwatches and neckties were not good safety practice around heavy equipment.
Thanks for sharing.

Mike

Thanks for contributing the history of You and your watch Mark. I try to obtain as much history as possible with any RR watch I obtain. As we know, this is not always possible. Still, I have been able to document a fair number of histories and I keep them filed away for the next caretaker. I assumed this watch must have had some use in the RR community or it would not have been produced for more than a single run or year. Unfortunately, I have no story to share with this watch, but will certainly recall Your reflections whenever I take it out for a walk.
........Thanks again........Joe.......
ps. Mark do you recall what you paid for the watch in 1982 ?

$125 as I recall, which was a LOT of money for me with a toddler and new born at the house at the time!

Regards! Mark

Thanks Mark. The inflation calculator doesn't always qualify the essence of what a dollar was truly worth in any given era.
.......Joe.......

Mine also has red 5 minute marginal minutes and red 24 hour markings in the center. A true Canadian railroad dial.

$125 in 1982 coverts to $365 in 2021, so yeah, I did it in payments.

I was chuckling last night looking at it, as like others here, I, too, have a lot of nice late 19th and mid 20th century railroad watches in prime carry condition that I could use, but considering this one is now almost 40 years old, I guess if you used the current collector 'vernacular', it's a 'late mid century modern' railroad watch!

Regards! Mark

Touche' !
I'm feeling older by the minute, and I have lots of help counting the minutes if you get my drift.
...Joe...