Hi Larry and others reading here, I have recently started out in the watch collecting world and am very much enjoying it along with all the info in these areas. Having now discovered this section, perhaps I can ask this - realizing that Larry, you were a CPR man.

I am also interested in Canadian railways and that will be the focus of my collecting. I currently have a 992B as a start.

However, I while I can find quite a bit of info about CPR watches - pocket and wrist - I am having a lot of trouble finding info about CN.

I would like to know what 'approved' brands, models and criteria CN had and if there were any special watches done for CN such as the Zenith Extra 56 done for the CPR.

Any help, info and comments would be greatly appreicated.

Can anyone point me in the direction of sources of info about CN watches?

Thanks
Ralph

hi ralph: welcome to the inner circle of the horologically ill,impaired,addicted and overjoyed !! Can't tell you much but my brother was a CN Engineer and wore a Bulova Accutron 214 or 218,not sure of the model # as my memory is a tetch off,but it was CNR approved

Hi Tom, hopefully I'm not ill yet but I've certainly caught the bug!!

You are right about the Bulova 214. I have read an article noting that there were two approved wrist watches by CN but it unfortunately did not name the other. That would have been as of the 1960's.

Ralph

Hello Ralph:

There was a special pocket watch made for CNR it is the Bedforde a 16 size, 21 jewel, made by the Swiss. Here's a picture of the Dial.

Larry

Here is a picture of the movement, it was approved by the CNR, and Mexican Railways in the early 1960s I believe.

Larry

There are also a lot of railway approved wristwatches that were specially made for CN here is one example of a Universal Geneve wristwatch Grade 1205-0 dial, the "0" designates the 0 at 12 o'clock mark instead of the usual 24 hour marking. There are several other wristwatches with these types of dials, I even have one made by the Ball Watch Company. Welcome to the club, and good luck with your collecting.

Larry

Hi Larry, thanks for those pics. Never heard of the Bedforde so thanks for adding that bit to my info. The wrist watch is quite interesting with that 0 at the 12 position. Kind of strange that they would do that, don't you think? Or was there some railway specific reason for that?
Ralph

There is a history behind this experimental type of dial that CN used, I will be talking to a friend of mine Peter Kushnir, a retired CPR Chief Inspector of Tire Service, who first told me the story about these wristwatches and I will post it in a couple of weeks. In the meantime here is of interesting Gruen wristwatch made for CN, I don't believe it was railway approved.

Larry

It is called a jump hours dial, every 12 hours it shifts from 1-12 to 13-24.

Larry

How wild is that!! ...and totally unique. If that got used in service I can imagine the 'inspector' having a great time regulating it.

Thanks for those pics.
Ralph

Thanks Debbie, I've always kind of liked it myself, I found it in a secondhand store in Toronto, Ontario back in 1982. I should get a dial refinished some day.

Larry

I have obtained a partial listing of CN approved watched and thought I'd update this list. This is far from complete so if anyone can add to this I'd be greatful.....continuing the search.

The list is from copies of the CN General Operating Instruction and starts with the 1979 list, goes to a 1985 and 1990 update.

Ralph
CN watches summary information:

Approved Railway Grade Watches - section 22.6, General Operating Instruction

As of June 17, 1979

Bulova
RR 52 - battery operated [tuning fork]
RR 218 - battery operated [tuning fork]
RR219 - battery operated [tuning fork]
RR1205 - spring Driven [manual]
RR 9362Q - battery operated [quartz]

Cyma
RR 285M - Spring driven [manual]
RR 2872A - spring driven [automatic]
RR 9361Q - battery operated [quartz]

Girard Perregaux
352Q - battery operated [quartz]
431HF - spring driven [manual]

Longines
RR 280 - spring driven [manual]

Rodania
RR 9361Q - battery operated [quartz]

Wyler
RR 9361Q - battery operated [quartz]

Revision of 1985

Bulova
RR52 – RR 218 – RR 219 – RR 1205 – RR 9362Q – RR 960.111 – RR 963.114Q – Q963.114RR

Cyma
RR 285M – RR 2872A – RR 9361Q – RR 960.111 – RR 963.114Q – Q 963.114RR

Girard Perregaux
431 HF – 352Q

Longines
RR 280 – RR 963.114Q – Q 963.114RR

Rodania
RR 9361Q – Q 963.114RR – RR 963.114Q

Rotary-Wyler
RR 9361Q – RR 960.111 – Q 963.114RR – RR 963.114Q

Revision of 1990

Bulova
RR52 – RR 218 – RR 219 – RR 1205 – RR 955Q – RR 963Q - RR 9362Q – RR 960.111 – RR 963.114Q

Cyma
RRx55Q - RR 960.111Q - RR 963.114Q - RR2852M - RR2872A - RR9631Q

Girard Perregaux
431 HF – 352Q

Longines
RR 280 – RR 963.114Q

Rodania
RR955Q – RR963.114Q - RR9361Q

Rotary-Wyler
RR960.111Q – RR963.114Q - RR9361Q

Valima
RR955Q

St. Moritz
RR955Q