However, no surviving examples of movements bearing these markings above serial number 1,000,000 (about 1900) have been reported. Its possible that the Railway Leader and Railway Monarch markings were private label watches, but they were most likely factory grades. Approximately, up to serial number 900,000 (late 1890s), the Railway Leader and Railway Monarch markings were used on some movements, although there were also unmarked movements and a large number marked as a private label watch as well. Longines watches having the watch adjustment and pocket watch regulator that made them suitable for railroad time service were imported into the U.S. Longines, now a member of The Swatch Group S.A., is still marketing watches worldwide today.
Over 1,100 people were employed at the Longines factory by 1911. In 1889, the winged hour glass trade mark, denoting high grade watches, was registered with the Swiss Patents Office. Within a decade, the concept of conducting all of the operations of finishing watches in one plant, using the machine methods developed in the United States, as opposed to the traditional method of passing the movement from shop to shop for each craftsman to perform his specialty task, was proven successful. Ernest (whose descendent, Ward Francillon, became a president of the NAWCC) purchased land and built a factory near St Imier in an area known as "Les Longines" in 1866, thus establishing Longines. Ernest Francillon, Agassiz's nephew (by marriage), entered the firm, becoming responsible for running the company in the mid-1850s. Auguste Agassiz started making watches in St Imier in Switzerland in 1832, shortly thereafter establishing the firm Agassiz & compagnie.
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