Hobbies And Interests
Features
Most Jean Cardot railroad-themed pocket watches have a locomotive design on the back cover. They are 17-jewel with a clear crystal and adjustable hands. These watches have sold at auction in the $50 to $75 range. They are not worth as much as official railroad watches used by conductors and engineers in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Considerations
Official railroad pocket watches, also known as railroad chronometers, were manufactured in the U.S. for the purpose of keeping precise time along major railways. Standards for railroad-grade watches were adopted by the American Railway Association in 1887. However, they were not broadly enforced until a serious accident in 1891. Because of a conductor's faulty watch, two trains collided head-on near Cleveland, Ohio with several casualties. The watch was four minutes off.
Function
Railroad watches were required to be open-faced, have 17 or more jewels, keep time within 30 seconds per week, and adjust to temperature. Most approved railroad watches were manufactured by Waltham and Elgin, although Hamilton, Illinois, and Hampden also made them. Jean Cardot was not on the list of approved watch companies.