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.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. Elgin Chart Serial Number 101This 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 1960s. Their success can be attributed to their huge production of low to mid-grade watches. 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. 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. Many Elgin watches that were made over 100 years ago are still providing reliable and accurate daily service to their proud owners. Much of this assembly work was done at a new Elgin plant in Elgin, South Carolina. 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. Keep in mind that watch movements and watch cases were usually made by different manufacturers. Elgin watches are entirely different than Illinois Elgin cases. 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. Please contact us if you have any questions about the repair of your Elgin watch.
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