I have a Southam Loaner C235214 992B in a base
metal case.I can't seem to find were
Southam RR is located. I think its in Canada.
Anyone know were Southam RR is?

Hello Richard:

I have never heard of, a SOUTHAM Railway or Railroad up here in Canada. Maybe Southam was the name of the watch inspector, who provided the loner.

Larry Buchan

Thanks for your information.I thought that the name on the back refered to a Railroad.It makes sense now what you said.Again,thanks for the help.

I know this is an old post but I have been working on my list of watch inspectors & did find a Southam that was a watch inspector, this is from 1947.

Tom

I Think Tom is correct. At the time that this watch would of been produced. Railroads Co would of not been handing out watches to there employes. And especially not loaners.

Thanks Tom, for bringing this post up to date and I am sure your research is correct....

To my knowledge, as limited as it is, I thought that the 'Loaner' watches always came from a jeweler that was authorized to do repairs for a railroad and the jeweler is the one that loaned out a watch while doing a repair for an employee, and the jeweler may or may not be an Inspector for that Railroad....and the railroad company had nothing to do with the loaner watch....

Maybe someone else will add to this that knows more about this than I....

Regards,

Jerry

Jerry, as far as I know you are correct. In most of the railroad time inspection regulations it was written in that the jeweler would have loaner watches on hand to give out when an employee's watch had to stay for repairs.

Some of the fake loaners you will see on the web for sale will have new engravings like SP Loaner and other railroad names but most if not all of the real ones have the name of the jeweler so he can get his watch back.

But as usual I am sure there are others that know more about this than me.

Tom

My former watchmaker, the late Jack Hostetler was under contract to the Pennsylvania Railroad's Time Inspector in Connellsville, PA in the 1950's & 1960's to do the inspections, repairs, etc. as well as provide loaner watches to the railroad employees when required. His loaners were marked with the name of his jewelry store and a number.

I am immediately suspicious of any watch explicitly marked "loaner" on the case, especially if it is new-looking engraving. It may have been done that way in some instances, but I don't believe it was common practice. Just a jeweler's name and a number has a lot more credibility in my mind.