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Elgin Solid 14Kt. White Gold Pocket Watch with Famous Jewelry Store Enamel Dial
About the Item
FACTORY / HOUSE: Elgin Watch Company for Montgomery Brothers Los Angeles
STYLE / REFERENCE: Octagon / Dress Style
METAL / MATERIAL: 14Kt. Solid White Gold
CIRCA / YEAR: 1921
DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Octagon 43mm
MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 15 Jewels / 12 Size
DIAL / HANDS: Kiln Fired Enamel Signed Montgomery Brothers / Original Blued Steel Hands
ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Vintage Chain Attachment
WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement
LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT
This rare watch by Elgin is fitted with a flawless original Kiln Fired Enamel Dial from one of the oldest jewelers in California. We have never seen a finer example of this historical piece.
Montgomery Brothers Jewelers was established in 1881 by Maurice Montgomery, a visionary entrepreneur who saw a need for a reliable and trustworthy jewelry store in the growing city of Los Angeles, California. With a passion for fine craftsmanship and a commitment to customer satisfaction, Montgomery opened his first shop in a small storefront on Pine Avenue.
Over the years, Montgomery Brothers Jewelers expanded its offerings to include a wide range of exquisite jewelry, including diamonds, precious gemstones, and custom-designed pieces. The store's reputation for quality and integrity quickly spread throughout the community, attracting loyal customers who valued the personalized service and expert guidance provided by the Montgomery family.
ELGIN HISTORY
The Elgin National Watch Company was founded in 1864 in Elgin, Illinois, as the National Watch Company in Chicago, Illinois. In September of the same year, the founders visited the Waltham Watch Company in Waltham, Massachusetts to “poach” some of their employees. They successfully convinced seven of Waltham's watchmakers to come to work for their new company. The growing young city of Elgin, Illinois, some 30 miles northwest of Chicago, was chosen as the factory site.
The Elgin Watch Company quickly became one of the leading watchmakers in the United States. In 1870, the company produced its first million watches. By 1890, Elgin was producing over two million watches per year, more than any other watch factory in the world. The company's success was due in part to its innovative manufacturing techniques and its commitment to quality. Elgin recognized that the idea of interchangeable parts was the future of all production methods. Their watches were known for their accuracy and durability.
The Elgin also played a major role in the development of the pocket watches for the railroads. They built fine, dependable, sturdy and very accurate watches. In 1910, Elgin introduced the first wristwatch that met the criteria for the railroads, even though it was not approved for use for 50 years. It was still an achievement. The company continued to produce high-quality pocket and wristwatches throughout the 20th century, and its watches were worn by celebrities, politicians, and other notable figures.
As with other American companies in technology for the times they benefited from military contracts for watches for W.W. 1 and W.W. 2 as well. They built instruments for cars, planes, ships and trains as well.
Elgin invented the “unbreakable” mainspring and many other technological breakthroughs. The Swiss paid licensing fees to Elgin for many of their inventions in watchmaking. Patek Philippe even used Elgin’s technology in their Balance Wheels in the 1950’s.
When I started learning watchmaking in the late 1960’s I was about 13 years old. The man who was my teacher was named Norman Jarrett and he was 85 years old when I started. He had been a Foreman in the Elgin factory in the 1920’s. I learned watchmaking the old-fashioned way. He taught me, “Never fit the watch to the part” he always said, “only fit the part to the watch, or don’t start the project.” He also pointed out, “In the future someone better than you may have the skill to do it right, but you ruined the watch already because you did not have the skill.” Like most of the things he taught me, it was a rule for living life as well.
Norman also said “Watchmaking is a serious craft” and shared with me a story about one of the men he worked within a shop. The man was not able to accurately adjust the timing after many hours. The next day he committed suicide. I decided that if I could not fix the watch to just put it down for a while and look at it another day.
By the time they closed shop Elgin had produced over 60 million watches and left a legacy of excellence and inventions as well.
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- Date of Manufacture:1921
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. It is worth noting that this pocket watch only had a 12-month warranty when it was new. However, we are so confident of our workmanship and team that we offer an 18-month warranty on all our pocket watches, even those over 100 years old.
- Seller Location:Long Beach, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: 9351stDibs: LU422324015962
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