RGM Releases “Baseball in Enamel” Watch

Baseball fever is at its peak this week as the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals battle for the 2014 World Series title. Now RGM is honoring America’s favorite pastime with a limited edition baseball-themed watch that is sure to please the most avid fan. While many lovers of the sport are likely to crave this finely crafted timepiece, very few will actually be able to buy one.

RGM releases the Baseball in Enamel watch.

While the RGM “Baseball in Enamel” watch is bound to hit a home run with aficionados of the sport, only ten of them will be able to score one of these very limited edition beauties. The timepiece features a high-fire enamel dial with Roman numerals and vintage baseball figures inspired by a rare 1892 Waltham Watch Co. pocket watch.

RGM founder Roland G. Murphy toured the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania, a few years ago and the rare antique timepiece with a unique enamel dial caught his eye. The original watch featured intricately detailed color illustrations of baseball players in a variety of poses at each hour mark with a crossed bat motif in the center and a banner reading “Waltham.” This gave Murphy the idea for a modern watch with an enamel dial carrying out the same classic American theme.

An enamel dial is an important plus for a watch since it does not fade and will retain its look for over a century. So why do so few watches have an enamel dial? Mostly due to the small number of artisans capable of creating a Grand Feu (“Great Fire” in French) enamel dial. Since Murphy was a stickler about having his new watch echo the craftsmanship of the pocket watch that inspired it, the search required three years. The result is worth the wait, as the figures of the baseball players decorating the dial have been flawlessly executed.

The inside of the watch is equally impressive with the RGM original in-house Caliber 801 movement constructed of polished or blued steel components. All this is housed in “Pennsylvania series” case of polished stainless steel. The case is made in Lancaster County, PA, and the blue keystone-winding crown carries out the Pennsylvania theme.

Murphy enjoys creating unique timepieces that have a timeless quality. “I make watches I like, and I hope other people like them,” he has stated. “Because RGM is small, each watch has its own special appeal. They are not just a commodity pumped out of a factory that changes ownership every five years. I may not have a 150-year history with a famous name, but I have high quality watches.”

The “Baseball in Enamel” watch made its official debut last month at the National Watch and Clock Associations Museum, the same place that Roland G. Murphy found his inspiration for this all-American timepiece. Only 10 pieces of this watch will be made, making it extremely rare and likely to be a coveted keepsake for many years to come.