Elgin

My shop was recently selected to supply vintage American watches for a premier movie starring some major actors and a world famous director. They were looking for authentic watches t...

My shop was recently selected to supply vintage American watches for a premier movie starring some major actors and a world famous director. They were looking for authentic watches that would represent the time period from 1915-1926. I was selected because of my attention to detail and originality. It is a true story of events that took place during the 1920’s. The crown jewel of this offering is Elgin's highest quality 0 size movement ever made. Lets look at the specs: 19 Jewels Ruby and Sapphire Jewels settings Raided 14 karat gold chaton's Solid gold gear train For those who have followed me in the last couple of years know that my sweet spot is WW1 Trench Watches...

FACTORY / HOUSE: Elgin Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco METAL / MATERIAL: 14Kt. Solid Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1940's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 33mm Length X 14mm Diameter MOVEMENT / C...

Elgin 1921 railroad pocket watch with a 59mm case made of silverode and is 20mm thick. Heavy watch with a clean plastic crystal. The case has a minor blemish and a light hand carving...

Vintage 1905 gold plated Elgin pocket watch that's 49mm in diameter and 14mm thick. The case is in good condition with a clean plastic crystal. The movement is working, 15 jewels, an...

My shop was recently selected to supply vintage American watches for a premier movie starring some major actors and a world-famous director. They were looking for authentic watches that would represent the time period from 1915-1926. I was selected because of my attention to detail and originality. It is a true story of events that took place during the 1920’s. What an honor for Vintage Watch Corner. I will share one Actor name, Robert Di Niro. This offering would of been perfect for the movie, it was not available at the time of the movies filming. As of three weeks ago I was picked up for another movie that was originally made in 1936, they are doing a remake. I am supplying the watches for that movie. Everyone once and awhile I get a treasure. This offering is originates from 1918, yes, that is correct 1918. There are several distinct characteristics that make this a real treasure to collect, keep reading if you are curious. The watches size is the special attribute. It is very hard to find 6 size wrist watches from the WW1 / Trench watch era. A genuine Bold Military dial that has been professionally refinished to its original status; this is the highlight of this listing. Luminous material has been applied. Don’t wait! Very hard to find an original WW1 Dial! This offering is super hard to find. You could wait years before another one comes up for sale. Take close notes, save the pictures, it will be a long time before you see another one. NOTE: To have a 6 size with a genuine WW1 / Trench watch dial is extraordinary. They are very difficult to find. This is the first one in about 10 years! For collectors who are reading this listing, they know how hard it is to find one in pristine condition. Let alone one with a higher caliber movement, 15 Jewels. The case measures approximately 40MM, unheard of during this era! Very Very Rare! I have gently hand polished this case with Simichrome, it is a polish that does wonders for silver, nickel, oresilver, silveroid etc. This watch was serviced November 2023. It runs beautifully as of this listing., It has a new crystal installed as well, I finished the watch with a 18MM black “Buffalo” leather open ended Trench Watch band with a stainless-steel buckle to match the case Please keep in mind the watches that are 100+ years young do not keep time like modern watches. The do not have modern seals to acts a s a dust or moisture barrier. Look at the pictures to compare against another watch. One has to know a bit of background to understand Trench / Wire Lug watches History about Trench Watches What is a “Trench Watch”? They were created using 3/0 and 0 size and very rarely 6 size pocket watch movements and installing into watch cases that were meant to worn on the wrist. The watch movement companies would send their movements to independent jewelers, who in turn would select the cases (as described below) to house the movement. So, the ordering process might go like this. A customer walks into a jeweler, with the help of the jeweler, the customer selects a 15 jeweled movement, then they go on to the case selection. The jeweler may recommend a higher end case manufactures like Depollier, Philadelphia, Fays etc and then it is the style of case as many manufactures had several different styles. Once a complete selection was made, the jeweler put it together and delivered the watch. That is how many Trench Watches (wrist watches) were born in the early 1900’s. The movements often came from women pocket watches because the wristwatch as we know was just being discovered. It is not uncommon to see various movements used in different cases, with various years. Remember the wristwatch was just being developed. They often have some of the following characteristics: Fixed or Wire Lug, some rare style have Swing Lugs: No traditional spring bar attachment as found in today’s watches. Case Material: Solid Gold / Sterling Silver {925} / Nickel / Silverode or Gold Filled were used. {This case lid snaps snug on the case. This is important to note as many cases were badly damaged by their owners over the past 100 years. This watch case has been taken care of throughout its 100 years, it is in remarkable shape} *For more practical purposes, a special alloy was developed which went by several different names, such as, “Silveroid, Silverore, Silverode or Silverine. “Silveroid” appears to have become the standard name for this metal that consisted of 45% nickel, 54% copper and 1% manganese. This metal was fairly hard wearing and could withstand the rigors of everyday use, for instance on the Railroads. Case Manufactures: There were many case manufacturers that made cases for Trench Watches. Some of the more well know were: Dennison (English Manufacturer) Illinois (not affiliated with the Illinois Watch Company) J Depollier and Sons, Wadsworth, Fahys, Philadelphia, Fortune and many more WW1 was 1914 to 1918, that is the time frame of many Trench Watches. Grade: 295 Manufacturer: Elgin Manufacturer Location: Elgin, Illinois Movement Serial Number: 20427929 Grade: 295 Model: 2 Class: 115 Estimated Production Year: 1918 Run Quantity: 2,000 Total Production: 210,000 Size: 6 size Jewels: 15 Jewel Movement Configuration: Hunting Movement Finish: Nickel Movement Setting: Pendant Plate: 3/4 Plate Barrel: Going Train: Quick Regulator: Plain Hairspring: Breguet Escapement Type: Straight-line Adjusted: No Railroad Grade: No U.S. Patents: 77078 Data Research: 1904 Elgin...

Thank you for stopping by. There are watch cases that are increasingly hard to source for my “Trench Watch” projects. They are the cases that are often referred as Trench Watch cases. While a Trench Watch case can be made from a variety of metals and styles, this was designed to take punishment. Extra thick fixed lugs, nickel for strength and durability. This watch is just that. What you are looking at is a 1919 Elgin with the magical Bold Red 12 dial. They are hard to find. The movement does in fact dates to 1919, WW1 was winding down in 1918. This is a true survivor of this time period. From an interest standpoint, this style is considered to be the blueprint for the modern wristwatch today. The “wristlet” watch was just being developed for our boys in service and it became more socially acceptable to wear them on the wrist. The dial does has been refinished, I point this out for accuracy. It shows beautifully in pictures and on the wrist. . The dial is a “Bold Military” style, a signature look by itself! This case has been gently hand polished to highlight the luster of polished nickel. Note of observation. This is a 3/0 size case, slightly smaller than the more common 0 size cases. This in itself makes this a real treasure to own. Think about this, 1919 it is now 2024, the watch is 105 years young By definition, What is a “Trench Watch” What are WW1 or Trench watches? They were created using 3/0 and 0 size pocket watch movements and installing into watch cases that were meant to worn on the wrist. They often have some of the following characteristics: Fixed or Wire Lug: No traditional spring bar attachment as found in today’s watches. Case Material: It or often Solid Gold / Sterling Silver 925 / Silverode or Gold Filled.. The case lid snaps snug on the case. This is a Oresilver, similar as silverode, read below. *For more practical purposes, a special alloy was developed which went by several different names, such as, "Silveroid, Silverore, Silverode or Silverine. "Silveroid" appears to have become the standard name for this metal that consisted of 45% nickel, 54% copper and 1% manganese. This metal was fairly hard wearing and could withstand the rigors of everyday use, for instance on the Railroads. Case Manufactures: There were many case manufacturers that made cases for Trench Watches. Some of the more well know were: Fahys, Fortune, Depollier and Sons, Dennison Illinois not affiliated with the Illinois Watch Company Depollier and Sons, Wadsworth, Philadelphia and many more. I would venture to guess this case was manufactured by Wadsworth. This style of watch represents the epitome of the WW1 / Trench Watch era of timepieces. To the bold military bright white and Red 12 enamel dial in amazing condition to the highly collectible Hermetic case. The case has been gently hand polished. Look at the pictures and discover the bold heavy duty fixed bar lugs, another great design feature of this watch, Many WW1 watches...

Circa 1900 Beautiful Antique Elgin Pocket Watch has Ornate Cobalt Blue Hands and dedicated seconds dial 14k Solid Gold Case with Beautiful Engraving on both sides Black Arabic Numer...