All about Gruen

[Fred]

By far the biggest player in Canada was the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. Because of the interesting "Canadian Pacific" case watch example that ended over the weekend, I had reason to go looking for info on the Canadian Pacific Railway. In the process, I found specific information on their marking requirements for watches.

I think it can help us make more sense of some early movement markings we see.


BACKGROUND - beginning of the CPR time inspection standards
1896-11-18 JC - Canadian Pacific Railroad Co. Adopt Watch Inspection. Toronto, Can., Nov. 14.—On Nov. 20 an order will be issued by the Canadian Pacific Railway Co., to the effect that all employes must be supplied with watches of a certain grade. George Chillas, of Montreal, has received the appointment of time inspector, with a commission to appoint sub-inspectors in the different divisions of the system, to see that the order is duly carried into effect.

1897-01-13 JC - Time Inspection on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Montreal, Can., Jan. 9.—The Canadian Pacific Railway Co. have issued a circular to all their conductors, engineers, train baggagemen, brakemen, firemen, yard masters and yard foremen, requiring them to submit their watches, as often as may be deemed necessary, to local watch inspectors, for purposes of comparison and unity of time. Every six months they must obtain a certificate from the inspector. These inspectors have also arranged with the company to supply nickel-cased standard watches at a low figure to employees who do not possess a reliable timekeeper.

In the onslaught of new watch purchases that followed in 1897, George Chillas was fired because of misconduct, and R. J. E. Scott was appointed in his place.

NEW REGULATIONS - On December 1, 1901, the CPR enacted new watch inspection regulations, as well as new instructions for their watch inspectors. These were published in the Keystone of January 1902. Here is the beginning of the “Instructions to Watch Inspectors.” All emphasis is my own addition.

Instructions to Watch Inspectors
1. Referring to circular issued by the manager of transportation relative to this company’s watch inspection system, inspectors will note that the standard adopted for its employees’ watches is one that is equal to what is known among American stem-wind watches as 17 jeweled, patent regulator, Breguet hairspring, adjusted to temperature, isochronism and at least three positions. The following are the lowest grades of movements, not already in service, which will hereafter be accepted :
American Waltham Watch Co., “Appleton Tracy & Co.” nickel, and “Riverside,” nickel 16 size; Ball “Official Standard,” 16 and 18 sizes, Elgin National Watch Co., “B. W. Raymond” nickel, Hampden ‘‘New Railway,” Illinois “Bunn,” Hamilton “No. 936,” and all grades equal or above.

2. This standard is considered as low as would be safe and reliable for railway service, and must be adhered to in all new watches going into service. It should be explained to the employees that it will be much better, both for themselves and the service, if they will use only the best grades of American movements, and the finer Swiss watches, as the best is none too good for railway service.

3. Old watches which were in service prior to the reorganization of the time service on October 1, 1899, may remain in use, subject to the action of the chief inspector of time service, as based on the record of their performance or on actual test made in his office, if doubt of their reliability arises.

4. In no case in future must a movement be accepted as standard unless there is engraved on it the name of the maker and the name or number of the grade, so that both inspectors and employees may be able to determine if a movement is of the required standard...

[Fred]

Ok, lots of bolding in the above post. Bottom line: from 1902, no watch could go into CPR service unless it was clearly marked with a Grade (name or number).

Workers had to purchase their own watches, so any watches making play for the Canadian market's biggest RR line would have to always mark this way.

Indeed, in the 1904 Eaton's catolog, we see Gruen doing exactly this.

127543 1904 eatons fall.jpg (32.17 KiB) Viewed 13 times

This can explain why some Madretsch movements are marked "52" or "56", while others that seem to be identical & even have "Extra" markings do not have those numbers. Canadian market (where hopes of possible RR service necessitated it) vs. US market.