The Defining Watch As the friendship between Hasburgh and the Clarks grew in 2024, so did an interest in the collection of pocket watches tucked away and largely forgotten in the basement of the jewelry store. A treasure hunt revealed timepieces dating as far back as 1885, including one with “Purcell I.T.” (Indian Territory) printed on the dial. Incredibly, these quality watches, built before the invention of electricity, still worked. Additionally, a memory surfaced about a missing watch, once loaned to a museum. Eventually, it was discovered in the store’s closet, and Hasburgh’s mouth dropped open when he saw it. It was the pocket watch of a lifetime: a Hamilton 978 from 1913, with a hand- painted Santa Fe Railroad emblem and the words “B.C. Clark, Purcell, Okla., Watch Inspector.” No doubt, this precious heirloom was B.C.’s personal watch!
Hasburgh consulted his network of experts, who proclaimed the watch as one-of-a-kind and extremely special, likely gifted to B.C. by the railroad or the Hamilton company. Few personalized, railroad-grade watches by Hamilton are known to exist.
B.C.’s Railroad Legacy B.C. Clark continued his important role as a Pocket Watch Inspector for an incredible 60 years, even after he moved from Purcell to Oklahoma City. The store’s legacy is built on B.C.’s pioneering spirit and ingenuity, but few are aware of the profound effect the railroad played in his survival and prestige as a jeweler. The train industry ensured his store’s legacy for future generations, but the rediscovery of the pocket watch that B.C. held in his very own hands further reveals his importance in railroad history—an emblem that proclaims his vital, life-saving contribution to America in his role as… The Railroad Pocket Watch Inspector.
51 BC CLARK MAGAZINE
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