CPR "What Makes Us Tick" Advertisement

CPR published an employees magazine first called The CPR News Bulletin, they had a contest for a new name for the publication. At that time, between 1946 and 1949, the CPR used on its logo "Spans the World" referring to its railway line from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, and its fleet of steamships that travelled the Atlantic to Europe, and the steamships that ran from the Pacific ocean to the Orient. One employee made the suggestion of Spanner and won the contest.

Cover of December 1962 issue of the Canadian Pacific Spanner showing a dawn shot reflection of the highly polished rails, and the red signals of the interlocking, and the caboose markers lamps of westbound freight's caboose as it departs Calgary terminal. Heading west to the Rocky Mountains through Banff National Park, and the Continental Divide at Stephen where it will descend through the Spiral Tunnels to Field, British Columbia.

A Company advertisement about morale boosting with a pocket watch as its theme: What makes the clock run? Which of the parts is most important? It's obvious that no part can be any more important than the others. It's the working together of all the parts that makes the watch run. Canadian Pacific works the same way. It's the working together. It's the working together of thousands of our employees that makes us tick. And just as the watch depends on every part so our Company counts on each and every employee. Next time you think that your effort or initiative makes no difference remember the watch..... and what makes it tick. Canadian Pacific.

Closer examination of the watch components in this Canadian Pacific company morale boosting advertisement reveals some issues. The serial number on the barrel bridge 5871938 shows in the Waltham Serial No. Database as a 16 size, 11 jewel, Grade 24, Model 1888, Pendant Set pocket watch made in 1893. Several parts are missing especially the balance wheel, the balance cock, the pallet fork , and the screws to hold the watch together. The regulator is for a later Model.

The dial is a single sunk Swiss Arabic, 24 hour, Montgomery style dial marked DIPLOMAT, I have never heard of a pocket watch with this name on the dial, maybe someone in our community might know about this dial and could tell us what it was used on.

This hodgepodge of pocket watch parts, couldn't make a tick, let alone work together, and would be laughed at by the CPR watch's inspector, this would be no way to run a railway!

Happy [belated] Canada Day to you Larry.

Thanks for posting these items with a chuckle included. Goes to show that the marketing/HR departments didn't know much about watches, just wanted to get a message across.

Excellent thread Larry!

Thank you for the comments, and wishing all my American friends a happy Fourth of July

Agreed Larry! This observation made me smile this morning.

Regard! Mark