Elgin Vintage Watches
The Elgin watch company produced more jeweled watches than any other watchmaker in America. The company made low priced watches, all the way up to high quality railroad grades pocket watches. Elgin's Art Deco watches are highly collectible.
Elgin was formed in 1867 in The state of illinois. It was first named the National Watch Company and was changed for the Elgin National Watch Company in 1874. Elgin first pocket watch, the 18-sized BW Raymond, premiered in 1867, and then launched ladies' convertible wristwatches in 1912. Within 1917 they made a soldiers' watch which has a pierced anodized case, outlined luminous Arabic numbers and hands and a khaki strap.
Around 1926 followed a nice-looking cushion shape watch with an over-sized crown. In 1928 and 1929 arrived their popular Art Deco ladies' watches, that are well worth looking out for; they are Madame Alpha, Madame Premet, Madame Agues and Parisienne. Elgin manufactured it's fifty millionth movement in 1951 unfortunately by then Elgin was in it's final years.
Up until around 1850, their watches were made mostly by hand. This implied that if a part of the watch broke, you had to find someone with the necessary tools and skills to make a new part replacing it. Elgin realized it quite earlier that there was a good market for watches that could be repaired relatively cheaply using factory made replacement spare parts. Thus Elgin was founded on the ideology of bulk production of high quality pocket watches using machine made, replaceable spare parts.
Elgin produced its first watch in April 1867, and the B.W. Raymond was astonishingly successful. By the late 1880s, Elgin had improved to employ about 2,300 workers and produce around 1,200 watches per day. The company released its first pair of wristwatch “the Lord Elgin and the Lady Elgin” in 1910. [..Read More..]
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Deals on eBay
![]() Vintage Mens Elgin Watch Engraved James O Schmidt 874 12 28 USS Mullany 528 $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 36m |
![]() Vintage Mens Elgin Mechanical Movement Watch 10K Gold Filled Case $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 40m |
![]() Vintage Mens Elgin Mechanical Movement Watch 10K Gold Filled Caliber 554 $20.50 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 44m |
![]() Vintage Mens Elgin De Luxe 555 Mechanical Watch 10K Gold Filled Apex Case $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 46m |
![]() Vintage Elgin Mens Watch 1928 1929 17 Jewel RUNNING Nice Case $42.00 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 5m |
![]() Vintage Mens Elgin Mechanical Movement Watch $15.50 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 6m |
![]() Vintage Elgin Womens Wristwatch watch blue hands $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1h 10m |
![]() VINTAGE ELGIN DELUXE 10K GOLD FILLED WATCH W BOX FOR REPAIR JA 11 $41.00 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 14h 39m |
![]() VINTAGE ELGIN 10K GOLD FILLED OBLONG MENS WATCH FOR REPAIR JA 12 $12.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 14h 47m |
![]() Vintage Elgin Mickey Mouse Gold Tone No Date Watch $99.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 16h 39m |
![]() ELGIN SPORTSMAN 1950s BLACK LINEN DIAL MENS CLASSIC BEEFY STEEL VINTAGE WATCH $36.00 (11 Bids) Time Remaining: 17h 1m |
![]() WORKING LADIES VINTAGE LADY ELGIN 14k GF EASTERN STAR BRACELET QUARTZ WATCH $10.50 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 17h 39m |
![]() Vintage Lord Elgin Drivers Watch Swing Lugs $19.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 22h 4m |
![]() mens vintage elgin manual wind calendar date 17j watch $9.50 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 22h 7m |
![]() EXTRAORDINARY ART DECO MENS ELGIN DELUXE DRESS WATCH VINTAGE 1947 RUNS A+ SUPERB $31.00 (24 Bids) Time Remaining: 22h 27m |
![]() Vintage Elgin 19 Mens Watch 10k Gold Filled Case w 19 Jewels Works $27.51 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 23h 2m |
![]() Ladies Vintage New Old Stock 10K YRGP Elgin Cocktail Watch w Box Tags No Rsv $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 23h 11m |
![]() Mens 1950s Elgin SHOCKMASTER Durapower 17j Stainless Steel Vintage Swiss Watch $161.50 (20 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 7m |
![]() Mens Vintage 21 Jewel Lord Elgin Wrist Watch CA50s Unusual Case $73.77 (10 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 17m |
![]() Vintage Elgin Sportsman Mens Wristwatch Watch 17 Jewels Model 720 $5.50 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 26m |
![]() VINTAGE ELGIN SWISS 10k RGP LADIES WINDING DRESS WATCH RUNS GREAT $0.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 36m |
![]() VINTAGE ELGIN MENS WATCH 10K GOLD FILLED NICE STYLE NON WORKING PARTS REPAIR $10.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 11h 22m |
![]() Vintage Mens Elgin Watch $15.50 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 14h 30m |
![]() VINTAGE ELGIN 663 AUTOMATIC CHRONOMETER GOLD FILLED WRIST WATCH $17.16 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 14h 55m |
![]() VINTAGE GOLD PLATED ELGIN 17 JEWEL MENS WRIST WATCH SIZE 555 FOR REPAIR $6.50 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 16h 22m |
![]() Vintage LORD ELGIN mens watch All 14K GOLD gf USA Classic 40s21 jewels $26.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 17h 38m |
![]() 1950 Vintage 21j LORD ELGIN Scalloped Lug Gold Watch 14k GF Stunning Case $51.78 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 17h 51m |
![]() 1943 Mens Vintage ELGIN Rose Gold Rare Buckle Lug Watch 10k gf Stunning Piece $41.08 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 18h 8m |
![]() Vintage 1942 Lord Elgin Mens 14K Rose Gold Watch $69.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 21h 15m |
![]() Vintage Ladies ELGIN Gold Wrist Watch In Box + COA $0.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 21h 29m |
In 1912, Elgin produced a convertible wristwatch for women. Due to its removable straps, this popular design could be interchanged from a wristwatch to a pocket watch, or it could be worn on a neck chain.
During the World War I, Elgin received a government contract with the U.S. Army through which the company trained 350 employees to produce precision and flawless watch repairs on the battlefield. This contract helped keep Elgin fiscally and monetarily sound during the war when the other companies went stagnant.
Elgin also helped with the war effort during the World War II, this time by producing specialized military watches, chronometers for the Navy, instruments for planes, and much more technical equipments. These endeavors set Elgin on a path of diversification and recognition that had its effects after the war, as the company started producing transistor radios, clocks, and other consumer related commodities, including more wristwatches of course.
At the time, the most stringent test of a watch’s accuracy was whether railroad companies would allow their employees to wear it because the inaccuracies of just a few seconds were as serious as to be the cause a severe catastrophic collision. For decades, only pocket watches were trusted enough to undergo the task to be allowed on trains, but Elgin produced a wristwatch that met railroad standards in 1961 - the B. W. Raymond Railroad Wrist Chronometer. Elgin was the first railroad wristwatch to be made in America with entirely American parts.


































