Elgin Pocket Watch Serial Numbers And Value

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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.

Elgin National Watch Company Serial Number, Elgin pocket watch. Elgin National Watch Company. In the spring of 1864 half a dozen ambitious Chicago businessmen decided that if Massachusetts could build a factory that built watches – Illinois could, too. Harper’s magazine summed their sentiment perfectly: “It was the genuine. 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.

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.

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.

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).

Pocket

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.

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.

Instructions for using our serial number look-up tables

This page contains INSTRUCTIONS for using the serial number look-up tables that are found on many of our watch company history pages. The example below uses information from the American Waltham Watch Company, but that is just an example. You should consult the serial number table for the specific brand of watch movement you are trying to date by selecting a company from the menu on the left.

Not all vintage watches can be dated using the serial number. Some American watch brands did not use a consistent series of serial numbers, but most of the big manufacturers did. Most vintage Swiss pocket watches did NOT have serial numbers and can't be dated by this method.

Can't find YOUR exact serial number in our lookup tables?

Many watch companies made hundreds of thousands of watches, and some companies made millions of watches! It would be impractical to list the individual serial numbers of EVERY watch made... that would make some really long pages! Our serial number tables list RANGES of serial numbers. So to determine when your watch was manufactured, you will need to find where your serial number fits within the range of numbers.

Serial number look-up example:

Let's say you have a Waltham watch with serial number 21,607,210 as shown in the photo below. Note that we're using the serial number from the watch movement, not from the watch case. Looking at the table of Waltham serial numbers (see example below), you can see that number 20,900,000 was made in 1917 and 21,800,000 was made in 1918 (marked in red in the table below). Since your serial number falls between those two numbers, you know that your watch was made in 1917 or 1918.

Pocket

Not sure which serial number to use?

Numbers

Elgin Watch Value By Serial Number

You must use the serial number from the MOVEMENT of the watch... the working part with the wheels and gears... not the serial number from the watch case. Cases and watches were often made by different companies and each usually has its own serial number. You usually have to take the back off the watch case to see the movement serial number which may appear anywhere on the watch movement.

Elgin Pocket Watch Serial Numbers

Use the movement serial number. Do NOT use the case serial number!
This is an example only. Your movement serial number may not be in exactly the same location as the one in the photo, but you are looking for the serial number that is on the watch mechanism itself... not the serial number on the external case.

YearS/N
185250
1853400
18541000
18552500
18564000
18576000
185810,000
185915,000
186020,000
186130,000
186245,000
186365,000
1864110,000
1865180,000
1866260,000
1867330,000
1868410,000
1869460,000
1870500,000
1871540,000
1872590,000
1873680,000
1874730,000
1875810,000
1876910,000
18771,000,000
18781,150,000
18791,350,000
18801,500,000
18811,670,000
18821,835,000
18832,000,000
18842,350,000
18852,650,000
18863,000,000
18873,400,000
YearS/N
18883,800,000
18894,200,000
18904,700,000
18915,200,000
18925,800,000
18936,300,000
18946,700,000
18957,100,000
18967,450,000
18978,100,000
18988,400,000
18999,000,000
19009,500,000
190110,200,000
190211,100,000
190312,100,000
190413,500,000
190514,300,000
190614,700,000
190715,500,000
190816,400,000
190917,600,000
191017,900,000
191118,100,000
191218,200,000
191318,900,000
191419,500,000
191520,000,000
191620,500,000
191720,900,000
191821,800,000
191922,500,000
192023,400,000
192123,900,000
192224,100,000
192324,300,000
YearS/N
192424,550,000
192524,800,000
192625,200,000
192726,100,000
192826,400,000
192926,900,000
193027,100,000
193127,300,000
193227,550,000
193327,750,000
193428,100,000
193528,600,000
193629,100,000
193729,400,000
193829,750,000
193930,050,000
194030,250,000
194130,750,000
194231,050,000
194331,400,000
194431,700,000
194532,100,000
194632,350,000
194732,750,000
194833,100,000
194933,500,000
195033,560,000
195133,600,000
195233,700,000
195333,800,000
195434,100,000
195534,450,000
195634,700,000
195735,000,000
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This is an example using the Waltham serial number table. Be sure to use the table that is specific
to YOUR brand of watch when looking up your serial number.

Be sure to use the serial number on the watch movement (the mechanism).
Do not use the serial number from the watch case.