Well preserved vintage American Made Elgin 1950 men's 15 jewel gold wristwatch, running great!

As you may know Elgin Watch Company enjoys a special place in American watch manufacturing history which you can read in this listing.

This, well-preserved men's gold wristwatch, manufactured in 1950, 73 years ago and still running strong, is an excellent example!

It features a 26.1 (1.03") 10K rolled gold case that surrounds a soft beige dial complimented by gold hour and minute hands, black outer chapter, and square sub-second dial at 6 o'clock, all under a clear domed crystal.

The 15 jewel movement sets and winds as it should, is running well, and keeping good time.

It is matched with a vintage Speidel gold-capped stainless steel flex band, and has a snap-down back.

STOCK CODE: E-3

Elgin Serial Number : H201333
Production Year :1950
Size :8/0s
Jewels :15 jewels
Grade :554
Model :7
Run Quantity :78000
Production Dates :1940 to 1951
Total Grade Production :1358000
Movement Configuration :Hunter Case (wristwatch)
Movement Setting :Pendant Wind and Set
Movement Finish :Flat/Matte Nickel Finish
Plate :3/4 Plate
Barrel :Going Barrel
Adjusted :No

ABOUT ELGIN WATCH COMPANY:

The Elgin National Watch Company, commonly known as Elgin Watch Company, was a major US watch maker from 1864 to 1968. The company sold watches under the names Elgin, Lord Elgin, and Lady Elgin.

For nearly 100 years the company's manufacturing complex in Elgin, Illinois, was the largest site dedicated to watchmaking in the world.

The company was first incorporated in August 1864 as the National Watch Company, in Chicago, Illinois, by Philo Carpenter, Howard Z. Culver, Benjamin W. Raymond, George M. Wheeler, Thomas S. Dickerson, Edward H. Williams and [W. Robbins. In September of the same year the founders visited the Waltham Watch Company in Waltham, Massachusetts, and successfully convinced seven of Waltham's makers 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. Initially, as part of the deal, the city was asked to donate 35 acres (142,000 m²) of land for construction of the factory. A derelict farm was selected for this, however the owners refused to sell the property unless the city purchased their entire 71 acres for $3,550. Four Elgin businessmen agreed to purchase the property and then donated the required 35 acres to the watch company. The company was re-organized in April 1865 and the factory was completed in 1866. The first movement, delivered in 1867, was named the B.W. Raymond in honor of Benjamin W. Raymond. The watch was an 18 size, full plate design. In 1869, the National Watch Company won "Best Watches, Illinois Manufacture" at the 17th Annual Illinois State Fair, for which it won a silver medal. The company officially changed its name to the Elgin National Watch Company in 1874, as the Elgin name had come into common usage for their watches.

Later history

The company built the Elgin National Watch Company Observatory in 1910 to maintain scientifically precise times in their watches. The company produced many of the self-winding wristwatch movements made in the United States beginning with the 607 and 618 calibers (which were bumper wind) and the calibers 760 and 761 (30 and 27 jewels respectively).

During World War II all civilian manufacturing was halted and the company moved into the defense industry, manufacturing military watches, chronometers, fuses for artillery shells, altimeters and other aircraft instruments and sapphire bearings used for aiming cannons.

Over time a number of additional plants were operated, mostly in Elgin. However, additional plants were located in Aurora, Illinois and Lincoln, Nebraska. The original, obsolete factory in Elgin closed in 1964, after having produced half of the total number of pocket watches manufactured in the United States (dollar-type not included). The plant was razed in 1966. In 1964 the company relocated most manufacturing operations to a new plant in Blaney, a town near Columbia, South Carolina which renamed itself Elgin, South Carolina. A leased building in Elgin that housed offices as well as casing, fitting, shipping, service, and trade material departments was maintained until about 1970.

All US manufacturing was discontinued in 1968, and the rights to the name "Elgin" were sold and subsequently resold multiple times over the years. The rights eventually were purchased by MZ Berger Inc., which manufactures its watches in China and distributes them outside traditional watch dealerships. Elgin-branded watches produced after 1968 have no connection to the Elgin Watch Company.

We offer free, first class domestic shipping and ship worldwide Priority Mail to insure safe, swift, and reliable shipping to our international customers for a flat fee of $34.00. (Canada may be slightly less)

Please note, we offer our items on multiple sites and will not be removed from other sites until payment has been received and rarely may mean that your selection may be sold out prior to your payment has posted.


We are Stonehenge Watch Company and have been selling vintage timepieces and new watches on the internet for over 16 years with hundreds of happy, satisfied, often repeat, customers!

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