THE SUPPLY CHAIN IN BRIEF
LAST THE
Time to Get Horological T he next time you glance at your watch, cell phone, PDA, computer, or clock, consider where it all began–the hours, the minutes, the seconds spinning in time, on time, all the time. Modern timekeeping as we know it is a product of “Railroad Time,” a standard of accountability and reliability that U.S. railroads officially adopted at noon on November 18, 1883. Soon thereafter, the railroad industry commissioned Webb C. Ball, an Ohio jeweler and eventual founder of the BALL Watch Company, to develop the first commercial chronometer. In celebration of the first mile of railroad track laid in the United States in 1831 by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company and the “father of modern timekeeping,” the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum and BALL Watch Company are teaming up to introduce an iconic BALL Fireman B&O First Mile timepiece. The Swiss-made commemorative watch is built on the respected ETA 2824-2 automatic mechanical movement, providing accuracy under adverse conditions–those encountered by railroaders in the 1800s and 1900s. The BALL Watch Company and Little Treasury Jewelers sponsored an unveiling of the new watch at a ceremony hosted by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore. Not to be outdone by their timely forebears, officials commenced the event at precisely 11:00 while traversing the first mile of commercial track laid in the United States. Talk about being on the ball!
To honor the first mile of track laid in the United States and the father of modern timekeeping, Webb C. Ball, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum and BALL Watch Company recently debuted a commemorative watch.
144 Inbound Logistics • September 2009
FACING LOGISTICS CHALLENGES? USE IL’S 3PL EXPERTS AND
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