The Royal Blue Watch
The Ball Royal Blue Watch Commemorates the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad passenger line that ran from Washington, DC, to New York City from 1890 to 1958. It is widely considered the most luxurious train line in US history.
The Ball Royal Blue timepiece is a limited edition of 233 pieces, representing the number of miles of track traversed by the B&O Royal Blue line.
Shop Royal Blue Watches
| BRAND | Ball |
|---|---|
| COLLECTION | Trainmaster |
| MOVEMENT | SW220-1 COSC |
| FUNCTIONS | Hours, minutes, sweep seconds, day and date |
| CASE | 41mm stainless steel case with sapphire crystal, solid caseback with image of a Royal Blue locomotive, signed, screw-down crown with B&O Capitol Dome logo, height 12.5mm, 50m water resistant. |
| DIAL | White or Royal Blue Line Blue with the Royal Blue Insignia, 16 micro gas tubes on hour and minute hands and dial for night reading capability |
| BAND | Brown alligator leather strap with standard buckle |
| STYLE | NM1058D-LL9J-WH/BL |
About the Royal Blue Line
In terms of pure royalty, elegance, and opulence no passenger train ever operated could compare to the Baltimore & Ohio’s Royal Blue. The interiors were decorated in expensive mahogany woods and there were separate sections for smoking. The upholstery used in the coach seats featured old-gold plush and all of the cars were steam heated with Pintsch gas lighting. The level of interior craftsmanship in these cars, particularly with the woodwork, is something that we will likely never see again. The exterior of the cars was just as impressive featuring a deep blue livery with gold trim, paired windows with etched, frosted glass, and iron scrollwork on the platform railings.
This train was designed and styled partially by famed industrial designer Otto Kuhler and was also an all-streamlined eight-car set featuring a beautiful dark blue and gray livery with gold pinstriping (a look that would come to define the B&O for years to come). For power the new train featured a streamlined bullet-nose P-7 Class 4-6-2 Pacific, #5304, which was also styled by Kuhler.
Information pulled from American-Rails website. Visit for more information on the Royal Blue Line!
About Ball Watch Company
The Ball Watch Company was established in 1891 by Webster C. Ball in Cleveland, Ohio. Webb Ball started the company in response to a request from a consortium of US railroads that was interested in rationalizing time-keeping due to an increase train accidents. Ball pocket watches soon became the gold standard of railroad timepieces, and today they are considered one of the most collectible brands of vintage pocket watches. The company continued to produce pocket watches and then wristwatches as a family owned business until 1998 when it was acquired and operations moved to Switzerland. At Ball Watch, innovation and creativity are the cornerstones on the foundation of the corporate mission, “Accuracy Under Adverse Conditions”. Continuing in the tradition of Webster C. Ball, Ball Watch aspires to manufacture the most accurate mechanical watches on the planet, ruggedized for use by those that live/work/play in truly adverse conditions. With unlimited inspiration, Ball is today setting the standards just as Webster Clay Ball did in the late 1800’s and through the early 1900’s.
Visit the Ball WebsiteAbout The Royal Blue Watch Project
The Ball Royal Blue is the result of an ongoing collaboration between Ball Watch, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum and Little Treasury Jewelers starting in 2008. Steve Hammalian co-owner of Little Treasury, then a new Ball Watch dealer, took a collection of current Ball watches to the Museum and introduced himself and the brand to Executive Director, Courtney Wilson. This was after Steve had seen the Museum’s collection of historic Ball railroad pocket watches and clocks on display. Following an extended discussion the two agreed that it would be exciting to have Ball create a commemorative B&O watch. Steve took the idea to Jeffrey Hess, President of Ball Watch USA, and Jeff bought in to the idea and presented it to Ball’s leadership in Switzerland. The result was the “Ball First Mile” a limited edition watch produced in 2009 commemorating the first mile of commercial track in the US. The First Mile quickly sold out and the idea arose to produce a more formal timepiece, which would be called the Royal Blue. That intention languished for several years, to be finally revived in 2016 with the ultimate production of the Royal Blue as presented here.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each Royal Blue timepiece will be donated by Ball Watch Co. To the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum.