What time is it?

ITR Logo

Did you know that the 1900 formed “International Time Recording Company” (ITR) was one of of the three chief components of C-T-R (Computing- Tabulating- Recording Company) – IBM’s predecessor – in 1911? And that Charles R. Flint arranged the merger of the

CTR Logo

International Time Recording Company, Computing Scale Company, and the Tabulating Machine Company to form the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (C-T-R). The new company was based in New York City and had 1,300 employees.

First IBM Logo

George Fairchild beccame the first chairman of the board of directors. C-T-R was then renamed International Business Machines. You did not know? So you learned something today. 😉

You may rightly ask, why do I tell you that???

So here is the answer: We met the COO of the Gran Valparaíso Metro this week.

Team with, COO, CFO and CMO of Metro Valparaíso

After the meeting as such (which was another good one) we walked down the foyer to the exit of their wonderful building (a former electric power station, nicely refurbished), looking left and right to some antiques, which they conserve in their. And what did I see?

IBM Master Clock No. 16

This beauty!

A clock from the International Time Recording Company, so if you like, one of our very first products.

I am not 100% (but almost) sure, it seems to be a motor wound no. 16, which ITR built and sold around late 30’s / early 40’s.  It is in a beautiful shape and a real eye catcher for every visitor of the Metro’s headquarter.

Detail view of the clock-face

So from that moment on (latest) the Metro COO understood how close his and IBMs business are related to each other 😉

#smartercities challenge