Webb C. Ball was summoned to testify when there was a collision between trains at Kipton, Ohio in 1891. His intervention, which included establishing strict guidelines for manufacturing timepieces with resistance to magnetism and reliable timekeeping in 5 positions, became the driving force behind standardizing the watch industry worldwide. (When a train arrived precisely on time, trainmasters would say "That guy's 'on the Ball'" and an American idiom was born).

Today's Ball watches are equipped with patented, Ball-engineered self-powered micro gas light technology that illuminates their watches for 25 years. Their other innovations include 7,500 G force shock resistance, -40 Celsius temperature rating, and 12,000A/m magnetic field resistance. Since 1891, Ball watches have proven their famous standard of "Accuracy Under Adverse Conditions."