In this week's post I'm going to share an item that was given to me by my father. Here it is...
I was able to pop the case open, and this is what I found...
Now, lets look at the movement, shall we?
Next, since I'm certainly no expert, I asked AI to break these facts down. In a nutshell, I found out..
Grade and Model: The watch is a Grade 308, Model 5, Class 104. The Grade 308 is a 17-jewel movement, which is a higher-end model for its time, offering better accuracy and durability due to the additional jewels reducing friction in the gear train. The Model 5 designation and Class 104 indicate specific design and production specifications within Elgin’s catalog.
Manufacturing Details: Made by the Elgin National Watch Co. in Elgin, Illinois, with the movement serial number 11655876. This serial number aligns with an estimated production year of 1905.
Production Run: A run quantity of 1,000 suggests this was a limited batch within the broader Grade 308 production, which totaled 25,000 units. Being the 14th of 19 runs indicates it’s part of a series with some variation over time.
Technical Specs: The movement is an 18-size, full-plate, pendant-set design with a gilt finish, openface configuration, and a quick train. It features a Moseley regulator, Breguet hairspring, and is adjusted to temperature, indicating it was finely tuned for consistent performance across different conditions. The 17 jewels are screw-set, a sign of quality craftsmanship.
Patents and Adjustments: The U.S. patents (77078, 347272, 345619) and the "Adjusted: Yes" and "Adjusted to Temperature: Yes" markings confirm it was a precision movement, though it’s not a railroad grade, meaning it wasn’t specifically designed for the strict standards of railroad use.
Case and Dial: The case is listed as "Various," which fits with the gold-filled "Supreme" case with a 10-year guarantee. The single-sunk dial type matches the subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock.
So, now I know that it's 120 years old and that it was a high end, fairly rare watch. I registered it with the website and apparently out of those 1000 watches only seven have now made it there. Also, that manufacture date of 1905 is interesting. Why? Because my grandfather was born in 1910. That's why I said I might be confused. Could this have been my great grandfather's watch? Possibly, but I'll likely never know for sure, since my dad passed away in 2008, so I can't ask him.
The watch isn't working, and in fact if you look closely at the gears, you'll note one is just sitting there, not attatched to anything. This type watch apparently sells for 150.00 to 400.00 not working, but 500.00 to 800.00 working. AI said that it typically costs 100.00 to 300.00, plus parts, to fix one, so it seems like it would be worth it. Of course, that's still a pretty good chunk of change, and I'll have to find someone who specializes in antique pocket watches. But I think I'll eventually do it.
It will be a nice thing to hand down to my daughter, even if I'm not exactly sure whose watch it was.
Until next time, keep searching for treasure!
Stu, I love your treasured pocket watch, truly a collectable. I would definitely get it professionally fixed and pass it down to your daughter.
ReplyDeleteI have my great aunt's Elgin wristwatch with an inscribed date of 1931, IIRC. I don't know if it works, but I plan to hang onto it, too. A nice piece of history.
Elgin [National] Watch Company was huge, in its 'heyday.' Over 5,000 people worked there (a close friend of mine had worked there), and they were even represented in Disneyland, on Main Street, as you already know. ENWC had a separate observatory [which still stands in Elgin, Illinois] built for using the stars to set the clock/watch times. Per the internet: "The two-story observatory provided data on time that was scientifically accurate to a tenth of a second.". Due to the money brought into Elgin, Illinois, by the watch company, many beautiful houses were built, years back, and they still stand today.
One sad, but interesting fact, is that the Elgin watch workers who painted the radium-painted numbers and marks on the watch faces [to glow in the dark], would lick their brushes while working - to keep the brush hairs together. Yes, it eventually killed those workers. Land where the radium waste was buried in Elgin, Illinois, years ago -- is still condemned and considered unusable. Definitely a sad part of history, but thank goodness we now know better.
Thanks for sharing, Stu.
Hey Sue!
DeleteThanks for the Elgin info! It all makes sense, because even though my dad was born in Missouri, I'm pretty sure my grandfather and certainly great grandfather were from Illinois. Of course the watches were sold all over the country, so that doesn't really factor in, I guess.
^ That was me -- Sue -- of "Lou and Sue"
ReplyDeleteAnd that was me- Stu!
Delete"This week on Antiques Roadshow:"
ReplyDeleteLike Sue said, "truly a collectable". I wonder what happened to the watch that caused it to stop working. I mean, the gear mechanism didn't just fall off on its own. Maybe some kid (Stu?) was playing with it, "I wonder what makes this thing tick?" :-p
If you're planning on keeping it in the family (not selling it), maybe it doen't matter if the watch works or not. And you could save yourself some money by not having it repaired. Then again, 'tis better to have a watch that works, than to have one that doesn't. Also, I'm sure it'll get more expensive (and harder) to repair it as time goes on.
Thanks, Stu.
Hey JB!
DeleteAlthough my childhood left an impressive trail of broken "how does this work?" items, this isn't one of them. I'm not sure who we should pin it on, and since they're all gone now, we'll never know! I'm hoping it will be an easy fix, but if it ends up being crazy expensive, it'll stay as is. It would be cool to actually use it, but that "cool factor" is only worth so much! We'll see...