I went to an auction preview yesterday and saw an interesting item. The auction house listed a Ball Wall Clock but it appears to be something different.

The clock face is round and about 6-8 inches across. The dial appears to be metal and says Ball Watch Co., Cleveland. It winds with 2 keys at the face. The crystal is flat and is quite thick. The bezel is "flanged" in a way that looks like a fancy porthole.

I didn't get a look at the rest as it is housed in a cheesy wooden box made of that lovely fake wood paneling so popular in basement rec rooms of the early 70's.

I know that Webb Ball marketed RR quality pocket watches made by various companies but I have no information about clocks. Does anybody have information about Ball Co. Clocks?

On a side note, there were a number of other clocks as well. LeCoultre Atmos w/original case, Howard Miller wood cased mantel, Tiffany Mercury Pendulum, Seth Thomas 4 jewel, New Haven Gold Ormelu. (sp) I wish I knew more about them.

Jack Davis
IHC Member #6

Jack, I have seen a few clocks with the Ball Watch Co. name on the dial. The ones I have seen look like Seth Thomas #2 cases. I don't know the history of the clocks. But now that you have brought it up, my curiosity is going to get the best of me. I'll have to do some digging.

NAWCC #41293
Internet Horology Chapter #104
IHC Exec.V.P.

Jack,

The Webb C. Ball Company was not only a RR time inspection service and the outlet for those great RailRoad watches, but also perhaps Cleveland Ohio's best-known retail jeweler for many years. As such they sold all sorts of watches and clocks in addition to silverware and all the various other jewelry items.

The clock you describe since it has two arbors, of course has some sort of strike. It may very well be a Ball-Marked Ships Clock due to the thick crystal you mentioned. Several companies, including Chelsea were a Ball and Company source.

I thought you might be interested in seeing some of the Ball-Marked Clocks we have in our home. The dial on this first one is similar to your description and has a Seth-Thomas Movement...






What follows is known in our family as "Mr. Ball" as it was originally situated in the great man's office. It is a thrill to wind the clock that once was wound and relied upon daily by Webb C. Ball himself. It has a high grade German Jacques Movement and features hammered plates. The heavy and straightforward design of the Phillipine Mahogany case is understated but it dominates the room...






This next one is truly remarkable. Not only was it for many years the timekeeper for the Erie RR it turned out to be an unusual Seth-Thomas Movement with Jeweled Pallets" of a beautiful aquamarine color. Ball RR Watch enthusiasts will notice it has the patented dial and hands design we associate with the Ball Official RR Standard Watches. This amazing clock is accurate to within 2-3 seconds a week...






As watch and clock collectors, many of us are fascinated with anything related to Webb C. Ball and his companies. To have these wonderful clocks as part of our household is a great source of pleasure and pride for our family. I hope everyone enjoys looking over these pictures.


Lindell

Lindell,
Thank you so much for the pics. Those are beautiful! The dial and hands on the first one are very similar to the one I saw. I believe you are right about the possiblity that it is a ships clock.

Jack

I tripped over myself getting to an "antique" Ball clock a few months ago in historic Waynesville NC. I really looked authenic and then I saw "Timeworks,inc Berkeley CA" printed at the bottom of the dial.

It looked so good I almost bought it anyway for $80 or so. The dial was aged with antique white paint, appropriately chipped. Saw 3 others later in the day.

Charlie

In Tran Duy Ly's book, "American Clocks Volume 3" there are 10 pages of information about Ball, his company and his clocks (page 217). The article is written by William I. Meggers, Jr and most of the photos are of clocks in his collection. Ball clocks were make by E. Howard, Seth Thomas and Chelsa. Some designs were custom made just for Ball, but most are "regular" styles with the Ball dial. I noticed that a Ball Wall Regulator (WM6 in the book), which is actually a Seth Thomas #17 Regulator, is valued at 55 percent higher (than the Seth Thomas).

Charlie Haywood

I have two Ball Railway clocks in my collection, both are Seth Thomas one a No. 3 Regulator with a 12 hour Arabic numeral dial. The other is a No. 2 Regulator with a 24-hour Arabic numeral dial that was used on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in McBride British Columbia.

Buchaneer


IHC Charter Member 28
IHC Life Member (L7)

Hello Ball Collectors... Just saw this on EBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2176862319&category=13853

Charlie

eBay_item_2176862319_(Ends_Jun-03-03_23_21_53_PDT)_-_BALL_WATCH_CO._CRYSTAL_REGULATOR_CLOCK.html (32 Kb, 444 downloads)

Very nice Charlie! I don't recall ever seeing anything quite like that before. Looks like a big brother to an "Anniversary Clock" to me. Am I just clock-knowledge-deprived or is this something different?

By the way, Andy Kreitzer was telling me about Chapter 168 and I joined. Perhaps I'll become a "Clock-Guy" yet, aye? I find the Atmos absolutely fascinating and want to find out how a clock can run over a year on just one wind.

So tell us more about the clock you pointed us to. The auction looks very straight-forward and the clock is a beauty. By the way, what should that one sell for?

Lindell

Your clocks are very nice, i especially like the Mr Ball clock, pretty cool to have something like that is verry collectable becayse of the history behind it and also who owned it .

IHC Member 261
Chapter 111,Ottawa
NAWCC Member 158976,
Nepean, Canada