Jun 05, 2017 What is the value of my Elgin Pocket watch 1887,serial number(###) ###-#### Expert's Assistant: I always love having an appraiser look at my stuff. Sometimes its turned out to be surprisingly valuable. Tell us what else you do know and the Antiques Appraiser will be able to better assist you. It keeps perfect time it has 7 jewels and is an 18s size. The rich history of the Elgin National Watch Company (originally the National Watch Co.) began in August 1864 when a group of investors traveled to Waltham, Massachusetts, home of the Waltham Watch Company. Hoping to give their new company a jump start, the investors promised seven of Waltham Watch Company’s best watchmakers and machinists.
Including Elgin Watch Serial Numbers and Production Dates
Elgin, Illinois
1864 - 1967
The Elgin Watch Company (also known as the Elgin National Watch Company) was the largest American watch manufacturer in terms of total production volume. In fact, Elgin produced approximately one-half of the total number of better-quality pocket watches manufactured in the United States. Total production over their 100 years of operation reached nearly 60 million watches, which is nearly 50% of ALL the jeweled watches produced by American watch companies! This makes Elgin one of the most commonly collected vintage watches since there are still so many examples available at reasonable prices.
The clock tower at the Elgin National
Watch Company
The Elgin National Watch Company was founded in 1864 in Elgin, Illinois as the National Watch Company, and some of the organizers were later to become the some of the biggest names in the American watch industry: J. C. Adams, P. S. Bartlett, D. G. Currier, Otis Hoyt, and Charles H. Mason, with financial backing from former Chicago Mayor Benjamin W. Raymond. The factory for the National watch company was completed in 1866, and the first movement produced was an 18-size B. W. Raymond model which sold in April of 1867 for the astounding price of $115. This identical watch, serial number 101, was sold at auction in New York in 1988 for $12,000. In 1874, the company officially changed their name to the Elgin National Watch Company, and that name remained until they stopped producing watches in the 1960's.
The 'Working Man's' Watch
The Elgin Watch Company's success was not built on its production of the highest-grade watches, though some of their higher grades were top-quality, exquisitely made timepieces. Their success can be attributed to their huge production of low to mid-grade watches... 7 to 15-jewels. Together with the Waltham Watch Company, they dominated the huge market for mid-grade watches, producing over one-million per year during their peak years of production. Elgin watches remain extremely popular with collectors today because they are plentiful, can be obtained at reasonable prices, and can be relatively easily repaired due to the large number of watches and parts available.
Elgin shipped their first wristwatch in 1910, and later manufactured the first wrist watch to be qualified for railroad service, the grade 730A B. W. Raymond. Throughout their history, the Elgin National Watch Company was known for horological innovations. In 1958, they introduced the 'DuraBalance,' an ingenious design for a free-sprung balance (no regulator pins) which used spiral balance arms and small weights to govern the moment of inertia of the balance. They also produced the only American-made automatic wristwatch movements: grades 607, 618, 760, and 761. These movements featured bi-directional, full-rotor winding, and had two automatic winding gear ratios, which were automatically engaged as the mainspring tension increased.
The contributions of the Elgin National Watch Company to American Horological industry cannot be overstated. Many Elgin watches that were made over 100 years ago are still providing reliable and accurate daily service to their proud owners.
Swiss Elgin Watches
During the last few years that Elgin was in business (late 50's through mid-60's), they began to reduce their US production and began importing Swiss watch movements which were finished and labeled as Elgin watches. Much of this assembly work was done at a new Elgin plant in Elgin, South Carolina.
Elgin Pocket Watch Serial Numbers And Value Guide
For more information on Swiss Elgin watches, including a listing of Swiss Elgin grades and their equivalent Swiss movement calibres, please view our Swiss Elgin page.
Elgin Watch Cases: Illinois Watch Case Company
The Illinois Watch Case Company of Elgin, Illinois should not be confused with the Elgin Watch Company. The Illinois Watch Case Company (I.W.C.Co) was a major manufacture in the city of Elgin, Illinois. It manufactured watch cases under many brands, such as 'Elgin Giant,' 'Elgin Pride,' 'Tivoli,' 'Spartan,' and 'Elgin Commander.' The use of the name 'Elgin' in their brand names, or marking the cases with 'Elgin USA' has often led people to believe that a watch was made by the Elgin National Watch Company when it was actually made by another manufacturer, or to think that a watch no longer has its original case because it is 'now in an Elgin case.' Keep in mind that watch movements and watch cases were usually made by different manufacturers. Elgin watches are entirely different than Illinois 'Elgin' cases.
Modern Battery-Powered 'Elgin' Watches
The Elgin National Watch Company went out of business in 1964. They never made any battery-powered, quartz watches. If you have a recently-purchased, modern Elgin watch, please see our Modern Elgin Watch page for more information.
SPONSORED ADVERTISEMENTS
Elgin National Watch Company
Total Production: Approx. 55 Million Watches
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1867 | 9000 |
| 1868 | 25,001 |
| 1869 | 40,001 |
| 1870 | 50,001 |
| 1871 | 185,001 |
| 1872 | 201,001 |
| 1873 | 325,001 |
| 1874 | 400,001 |
| 1875 | 430,000 |
| 1876 | 480,000 |
| 1877 | 520,000 |
| 1878 | 570,000 |
| 1879 | 625,001 |
| 1880 | 750,000 |
| 1881 | 900,000 |
| 1882 | 1,000,000 |
| 1883 | 1,250,000 |
| 1884 | 1,500,000 |
| 1885 | 1,855,001 |
| 1886 | 2,000,000 |
| 1887 | 2,500,000 |
| 1888 | 3,000,000 |
| 1889 | 3,500,000 |
| 1890 | 4,000,000 |
| 1891 | 4,449,001 |
| 1892 | 4,600,000 |
| 1893 | 5,000,000 |
| 1894 | 5,500,000 |
| 1895 | 6,000,000 |
| 1896 | 6,500,000 |
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1897 | 7,000,000 |
| 1898 | 7,494,001 |
| 1899 | 8,000,000 |
| 1900 | 9,000,000 |
| 1901 | 9,300,000 |
| 1902 | 9,600,000 |
| 1903 | 10,000,000 |
| 1904 | 11,000,000 |
| 1905 | 12,000,000 |
| 1906 | 12,500,000 |
| 1907 | 13,000,000 |
| 1908 | 13,500,000 |
| 1909 | 14,000,000 |
| 1910 | 15,000,000 |
| 1911 | 16,000,000 |
| 1912 | 17,000,000 |
| 1913 | 17,339,001 |
| 1914 | 18,000,000 |
| 1915 | 18,587,001 |
| 1916 | 19,000,000 |
| 1917 | 20,031,001 |
| 1918 | 21,000,000 |
| 1919 | 22,000,000 |
| 1920 | 23,000,000 |
| 1921 | 24,321,001 |
| 1922 | 25,100,000 |
| 1923 | 26,050,000 |
| 1924 | 27,000,000 |
| 1925 | 28,421,001 |
| 1926 | 29,100,000 |
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1927 | 30,050,000 |
| 1928 | 31,599,100 |
| 1929 | 32,000,000 |
| 1930 | 32,599,001 |
| 1931 | 33,000,000 |
| 1932 | 33,700,000 |
| 1933 | 34,558,001 |
| 1934 | 35,000,000 |
| 1935 | 35,650,000 |
| 1936 | 36,200,000 |
| 1937 | 36,978,001 |
| 1938 | 37,900,000 |
| 1939 | 38,200,000 |
| 1940 | 39,100,000 |
| 1941 | 40,200,000 |
| 1942 | 41,100,000 |
| 1943 | 42,200,000 |
| 1944 | 42,600,000 |
| 1945 | 43,200,000 |
| 1946 | 44,000,000 |
| 1947 | 45,000,000 |
| 1948 | 46,000,000 |
| 1949 | 47,000,000 |
| 1950 | 48,000,000 |
| 1951 | 50,000,000 |
| 1952 | 52,000,000 |
| 1953 | 53,500,000 |
| 1954 | 54,000,000 |
| 1955 | 54,500,000 |
| 1956 | 55,000,000 |
Be sure to use the serial number on the movement (the works) of the watch. Do not use the serial number from the watch case.
Can’t find your serial number in the table? Click here for an explanation and example of how to use our serial number tables.
Need help finding the serial number on your watch? Click here for instructions on how to identify and open most common case types.
In the 1930s, Elgin began using a single-letter prefix to replace the 'millions' digits on their serial numbers. So if your Elgin watch has a serial number starting with a letter, you must determine the millions digits from the table below in order to determine the full serial number.
| Letter | Millions Digits |
|---|---|
| X | 38 or 39 |
| C, E, T or Y | 42 |
| L | 43 |
| U | 44 |
| J | 45 |
| V | 46 |
| H | 47 |
| N | 48 |
| F | 49 |
| S | 50 |
| R | 51 |
| P | 52 |
| K | 53 |
| I | 54 |
At Renaissance Watch Repair, we are experts in the repair and restoration of vintage watches made by the Elgin National Watch Company. Please contact us if you have any questions about the repair of your Elgin watch.
Production Year
Approximate date the movement of a watch is produced. Factory records differ
from year-to-year and factory-to-factory. Some records are more complete than
others. For this reason, many factory production dates are approximate.
Size
System developed and agreed-upon by American watch manufacturers to
determine the diameter of a watch movement. The larger the number, the larger
the diameter of the movement. The numbers used for American watch movement
sizing have no correlation to the actual measurement of the piece.
Jewels
Only jewels have a surface hard and perfect enough to allow metal parts to turn
unceasingly year after year with a minimum of wear and friction. Jewels also hold
the microscopic droplets of oil that lubricate each tiny pivot point. Raw jewels
alone cost little; it’s their incredibly precise finish and their perfect positioning in
the watch that give them value and make your watch run so dependably. While
a certain number of jewels are necessary at vital points, an increase beyond this
number does not always mean an increase in watch quality.
Grade
The grade of a movement is the identification of the level of quality to which it is
finished, generally reflecting the amount of labor that went into them. There is
some relationship to the cost of materials, but the greater cost was the labor to
finish and adjust the parts to the precision necessary for good timekeeping and,
to a lesser extent, the pleasing appearance of the movement. For cases, the
value of the material was a much greater proportion, with some extra labor going
into engraved designs.
Grading can be increased/decreased by adding jewels, damascening or adding
levels of adjustment.
Model
Much like the model of a car, the model of a watch movement indicates the style
of the piece and the level of labor and jeweling that went into the movement.
Model names and numbers are used to determine railroad eligibility use and level
of construction. Models names can be words or numbers.
Class
An internal notation used by a watch factory to note the level of production and
type of a watch movement. This category can be used to note subtle differences
between models and grades.
Run Quantity
Because special tooling and manufacturing techniques are required for
each model and grade of movement, mechanisms are produced in groups called “runs.” A run can consist of a hundred or less up to tens of thousands per group. The total run quantity of a model or grade is the complete number assembled before the factory ceased production of that model.
Movement Configuration
The movement configuration of a watch identifies whether it was manufactured
to go in a hunting case – a watch case with a cover that opens when the crown
is pushed; or, whether it is designed for use in an open-face case, which has no
cover.
Movement Setting
The setting of a watch movement notes how the hands of the watch are moved
to align with the correct time. Early watches hands were “set” by using a key to
turn them; later, watches were set by pulling out the crown; turning it until the
hands gestured to the proper time, then pushing in the crown. For railroad use, a
watch should be “lever set”: A hidden lever located in a small slot near the edge
of the dial must be pulled out before the hands can be adjusted. This safeguard
was developed to protect watches from having their hands jostled out of time
accidentally.
Movement Finish
The movement finish of a watch traditionally refers to its appearance: color,
metal or decoration. A “gilt” finish is, in effect, gold-plated. A “nickel” finish means
the solid nickel plates of the watch are polished. A “nickel damascened” finish
means the nickel plates are brushed or decorated by hand or machine, thereby
increasing the grade and value of the movement.
Plate
A watch movement is constructed so that wheels are held between “bridges”
or “plates.” Some movements are full-plate, meaning they are two plates of
metal with gears between them. Other movements may be “three quarter” plate,
meaning there plates sandwiching the gears have an open space or gap in them.
A “bridge” movement is a mechanism with thin fingers or “bridges” holding one
end of the pivot, exposing most of the internal workings of the movement to be
seen.
Barrel
The barrel of a movement is the area containing its mainspring.plain barrel: i.e.
without teeth, used in fusee watches and clocks. A chain, or cord, was wound
around the plain barrel, connecting it to the fusee.
Elgin Pocket Watch Serial No
Going barrel is the form used in modern watches, is wound by turning the arbor
and drives the watch movement by a ring of teeth around the barrel. This enables
the mainspring to continue running the watch while it is being wound. Invented by
Jean-Antoine Lépine.
A “hanging barrel” is a version of the going barrel that is supported by the
movement only at its upper end – a space-saving design.
A “motor” or “safety barrel” is used in pocket watches around 1900, a reverse
variant of the going barrel in which the spring is wound by turning the barrel, and
turns the watch movement by the central arbor. The purpose of this arrangement
was that if the spring breaks, destructive recoil forces would not be applied to the
vulnerable gear train.
Elgin Pocket Watch Serial Numbers And Value
Elgin Antique Pocket Watch Values
Adjusted
An “adjusted” movement is one that is finished or specially “tuned” at the factory
for certain applications. There are eight possible adjustments:
• Dial up
• Dial down
• Pendant up
• Pendant down
• Pendant left
• Pendant right
• Temperature (from 34–100 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Isochronism (the ability of the watch to keep time, regardless of the
mainspring’s level of tension).
Elgin Watch Serial Number Dates
Positional adjustments are attained by careful poising (ensuring even weight
distribution) of the balance-hairspring system as well as careful control of the
shape and polish on the balance pivots. All of this achieves an equalization of
the effect of gravity on the watch in various positions. Positional adjustments
are achieved through careful adjustment of each of these factors, provided by
repeated trials on a timing machine. Thus, adjusting a watch to position requires
many hours of labor, increasing the cost of the watch. Standard grade watches
were commonly adjusted to 3 positions (dial up, dial down, pendant up) while
higher grade watches were commonly adjusted to 5 positions (dial up, dial down,
stem up, stem left, stem right) or even all 6 positions. Railroad watches were
required, after 1908, to be adjusted to 5 positions. 3 positions were the general
requirement before that time.
Hampden Pocket Watch Serial
Marked For
Movements can be specially marked or engraved when produced for specific
customers or purposes. When they are “marked for” railroad service or a specific
railway, it can be noted in factory records. Also, when a clerk wished to note
something unusual about a run of movements, they might make notes here.
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