Webb C. Ball set up "RR Standard" ("RR" for Rail Road) to assure a high accuracy and perfect reading to all railroad employees. He also created the BALL Time Service, an after-sale service to which every employee of the rails had to bring his watch every two weeks to make sure the accuracy and reliability of the watch was maximal.
To obtain the "RR Standard" certification, the watches had to follow certain criteria:
- No lid on the dial, size 18 or 16 (44.86mm or 43.17mm)
- Plain white dial, bold black hands and Arabic numbers
- Winding stem at 12 o’clock
- Minimum of 17 jewels
- Must have a double roller
- Must be lever-set
- Adjusted to at least 5 positions
- Be adjusted to temperatures of 40 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit
- Accuracy with a gain or loss of maximum 30 seconds a week
