Elgin watches, some of the most indemand antique watches in the market today, are a perennial favorite among watch collectors. Elgin wrist watch serial number lookup nawcc forums. I bought this in a box lot and really know nothing about it. If youve always wanted to own a piece of functional american history, without breaking the bank, then a wrist or pocket watch from the elgin national watch company may just be exactly what youve been looking for. Sold for 350 via cortrie spezial auktionen september 2015. Serial number lookup example explained the output from the online elgin database is very terse. The first elgin watch a pocket watch dates to 1867. These logs are not fancy, they are simple text files with notes that i have created for myself. Right now, everything is geared toward experienced watch collectors, but even people who know very little about watches should be able to pick out some useful facts. How to find the serial number on an elgin pocket watch our. I believe that your watch resulted from someone in the last sixty years swapping a commercial or postwar surplus movement with a military styled dial into an a11 case.
Watch code documentation the watch code is a short way of describing the watch. How to determine the value of an elgin watch using the serial. Elgin pocket watch conversion to wrist watch circa 1912. Each section of the output is broken out and all parts. When wadsworth got killed off, a few models were produced by. Elgin watches were manufactured to be timepieces that kept time with extreme accuracy, and the elgin national watch company built an observatory so that they could ensure that each elgin wrist watch had accuracy that. All jewelry all newly listed all pocket watches all wrist watches american waltham ball e. The elgin serial number database was created by scanning and ocring the 1950 serial number list. For example, at the bottom of this web page is a table that can tell you approximately what year your watch was made. Elgin watch crystal by case number, reference request. Approximate date the movement of a watch is produced. Sep 15, 2015 vintage mechanical wristwatches from the golden years of the elgin national watch company pre1968. From a simple battery replacement to a complete restoration, our swisstrained watchmakers perform a wide range of repairs with precision.
See more ideas about elgin watch, watch companies and watches. Elgin batteries watch tools watch crystals watch parts watch winder watch movements watch bands accessories watch crowns clock tools watch parts supply specializes in providing quality replacement watch parts for retailers and consumers. Throughout their history, the elgin national watch company was known for horological innovations. Feb 20, 2016 vintage lord elgin wrist watch 14k gold 33mm x 23mm 20 gm. Howard elgin national hamilton hampden illinois other pocket watches rockford south bend make an offer newsletters. You can also refer to an elgin serial number chart. We are severely handicapped by both the lack of legacy production records and by elgins policy of not giving names to models. The searchable database consists of detailed reports on a ever. Watch parts supply watch parts replacement watch bands watch crowns watch movements watch crystals. Elgin watches serial numbers elgin national watch company. Casker is a leading supplier of wrist watch, pocket watch, and clock parts to professional horologists. Pocket watch identification and value guide the spruce crafts.
Elgin shipped their first wristwatch in 1910, and later manufactured the first wrist watch to be qualified for railroad service, the grade 730a b. Elgin watches were manufactured in illinois from 1864 to 1968. For nearly 100 years the companys manufacturing complex in elgin, illinois, was the largest site dedicated to watchmaking in the world. If you look in the gs catalog you can download a pdf version from, youll see that there are all kinds of shapes, even of crystals with the same length and width. Although less accurate than pocket watches, wrist watches were. If anyone has any information about this watch i would be very happy to learn. Watch serial number information a lot of information can be determined about your elgin watch from just the serial number on the movement where the gears are. In between, pinning an individual elgin down to a specific year and model can be a bit of a chore. This will allow you to type in the grade of your elgin pocket watch, and show you all the part numbers for the various parts. If there are any discrepancies, verify the serial number. Elgin watch databases although it may require some digging, a lot of useful information can be found out about elgin watches by using these databases. Make offer vintage elgin suede leather mens wrist watch band 16mm with hadley 2010k g. I looked for the little space that is on most wristwatches.
Get the best deal for elgin wristwatches from the largest online selection at. Then i had to go through and clean up the list by hand, changing os to 0s, ss to 5s, and 11s to 0s etc. It was the genuine, audacious, selfreliant western spirit. These watches tend to have thinner profiles for a sleeker appearance. Generally, an ebook can be downloaded in five minutes or less. You can also type in a part number and get a list of all grades using that part number. Elgin watch repair watch repairs usa is the fastest, easiest and most convenient way to repair your elgin watch. Here is an explanation for sn4231541 which is a fairly typical example. Enter the serial number into an online elgin serial number database to obtain an instant result that lists its year of production. Elgin super scarce detailed wood grain dial, day and date feature, unique nine faceted and curved drivers style crystal, automatic 25 jewel movement wristwatch circa 1970s ernest borel monaco scarce horseshoe u shaped 20 micron plated gold case, 17 jewel automatic movement wristwatch circa 1960s.
Other movements were sold ealier as womans pendant watches, and recased by a retailer a decade later. Here is a log of elgin related auctions that have been run on ebay. Fine wrist watches price guide and appraisal guide. Our wide selection is eligible for free shipping and free returns. Warren, whose price guide books have been the authority on collectibles values since 1985. Elgin national watch company in the spring of 1864 half a dozen ambitious chicago businessmen decided that if massachusetts could build a factory that built watches illinois could, too. They can be useful for estimating the price of a similar watch on ebay, andor how frequently a similar watch appears on ebay.
Some of the case makers had already used 45 digit numbers that look the same and can cause confusion, elgin also reused the 4 digit case numbers later on just keep you on your toes. Mar 22, 2009 the elgin a11 should have a grade 539 movement, sweep seconds with a hacking feature. The online database for the elgin watch company can tell you a great deal of information about your watch, based on just the serial number off the movement. Is your chance to get a fair estimate of when your longines watch was originally produced. It is similar to the ea codes developed by roy ehrhardt and used in many of his books, so they should look familiar to many experienced pocket watch collectors. Buy mens elgin ii watch and other wrist watches at. Elgin wrist watches models the first elgin wrist watch was constructed in 1910 by the newly named elgin national watch company. Elgin wristwatch national museum of american history. The movement is also sometimes called the watch works.
When men were allowed to wear wrist watches, these were then factory cased or sold as movements to be cased by the wholesaler or the retailer. If the serial number is correct please let me know about the problem by emailing me. Elgin watches all prices for elgin watches on chrono24. Vintage mens elgin pocket watches in this section, you will find a nice selection of vintage elgin or the earlier national watch co. The second hands rotate in a sweeping motion, moving continuously around the dial. If you have a wrist watch, and the only number on the movement is a three. You simply look up your serial number and place it in the shown table. That said, i know of errors in it, and i know that it isnt complete. Welcome to our little catalog, its a work in progress and no doubt will never be 100% completed. Brief history of the elgin national watch company including watch serial numbers and production dates. Home wristwatch parts technical manuals and data sheets american.
The elgin national watch company, commonly known as elgin watch company, was a major us watch maker from 1864 to 1968. Elgin mechanical handwinding wristwatches for sale ebay. It was designed to be quickly read by knowledgeable elgin watch collectors and needs a little explaining for everyone else. This database is the most complete and accurate records of elgin watches that i know of. Retail window these are dates that we have seen the models advertised, its to provide an idea of how common a model might be. My inlaws have given me the goahead on having the watch restored which will be an interesting project for me, since this is my first foray into pocket watches.
This illinois hunter case pocket watch was special for a railroad company. In 1958, they introduced the durabalance, an ingenious design for a freesprung balance. Technical manuals and data sheets watch repair information. The resources here cover wrist watches produced prior to 1970. Check out this selection of traditional elgin handwound mechanical wristwatches. Elgin watches made before the late 1930s feature serial numbers without a letter prefix, with those made after that period containing one letter. Watch and patent information guide with serial numbers. However, if you look up the type model and caliber, you can check on ebay or other auctionsales sites to see what other watches with similar movements sold for.
The various online serial number databases even some elgin parts catalogs. The watches of the elgin almanac 18711876 luis casillas nawcc. Free technical manuals and data sheets for your vintage wristwatch. We carry all available brands of watch material including crystals.
By the opulent jazz age, if you werent displaying the exuberant symmetry of an elgin wrist watch or carrying a svelte, distinctive elgin pocket watch, then who. Available band colors for elgin handwound mechanical wristwatches. Elgin watch identification guide waterstone watches. Info, specs, and value american antique pocket watches, with serial number lookups for manufacturers such as elgin, illinois, waltham, and hamilton.
Traces the evolution of the elgin national watch company, americas largest watch manufacturer, from their founding in 1864 until their demise 100 years later. The only way to tell is to look at the old elgin advertisements and see if you can find your case. For this reason, many factory production dates are approximate. These logs are not fancy, they are simple text files with notes that i. The last elgin movement made in america was produced in 1968.
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