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Elgintime
  • Elgintime Vintage Watches Serviced and Repaired
    • Elgin Watch Serial Numbers Database
    • Antique Pocketwatch Restoration, Repair, Cleaning and Service
    • Early History
    • Elgin Clocks
    • About Elgin Serial Numbers
    • Technical Information and FAQ
      • 1939 Elgin Catalog
        • 1939 Elgin Catalog, 1
        • 1939 Elgin Catalog, 2
        • 1939 Elgin Catalog, 3
      • Elgin Model Reference
        • Elgin Model Reference, 0 Size
        • Elgin Model Reference, 10 Size
        • Elgin Model Reference, 10/0s
        • Elgin Model Reference, 12 Size
        • Elgin Model Reference, 14 Size
        • Elgin Model Reference, 16 Size
        • Elgin Model Reference, 17 Size
        • Elgin Model Reference, 18 Size
        • Elgin Model Reference, 3/0 Size
        • Elgin Model Reference, 5/0 Size
        • Elgin Model Reference, 6 Size
      • Elgin Named Movements
      • ElginHands14s
      • ElginHands16s
      • ElginHands1817sKS
      • ElginHands18sSS
      • Hamilton Staffs
      • How to Determine the Size of a Watch
      • London Date Hallmarks
      • Monograms
        • Monograms, Index 1
        • Monograms, Set 2
        • Monograms, Set 3
        • Monograms, Set I
      • Portfolio of Watch Selling
      • What are Elgin's Grade, Class and Model Designations?
    • The Elgin National Watch Company
    • The Elgintime Museum
      • Spotting Slackers
      • Vintage Articles, Brochures and More
        • Collecting Old Watches
        • Connecticut Clockmaking
        • Guillaume
        • Otto Young & Co
          • p313
          • p446
          • p583
          • p617
        • Simon Willard
        • WatchmakerAccuracy
      • Vintage News
        • Even More Vintage Horological Articles
          • 17 Leading Publications Used By Elgin to Boom Graduation Watch Buying
          • A Chat With H. E. Anderson
          • A Horological Review
          • A Survey On Come-Backs
          • A Watch For A Giantess
          • A Watch For A Giantess
          • An Easy Way to Remove Broken Guard Pins
          • An Horologist
          • An Interesting Old Tool
          • Beryl-X Balances
          • Cooperation
          • Do You Know?
          • Do You Know?
          • Do You Know?
          • Electric Clock Runs for More Than 40 Years
          • Elgin Expands, Acquires New Plant In Nebraska
          • Elgin Expands, Acquires New Plant In Nebraska
          • Elgin Inaugurates Xmas Campaign in National Magazines
          • Elgin Opens Spring Season with 19 New Watches for Men
          • Elgin to Build Observatory for New York Fair
          • Elgin Watch Company Entertains Royally
          • Explanation of Terms Used in Connection With the Detached Lever Escapement
          • F. Berthoud Escapement
          • Fastening the Hair Spring Stud
          • Hairspring Expert Uses Seven Vibrators
          • Holding Small Hands
          • Is the Jeweler's and Watchmaker's Job a Strain on the Eyes?
          • J. H. Bledsoe to Market New Hairspring Vise
          • Making Second Hands Friction Tight
          • Manufacture of Timepieces in Italy
          • Master Watchmakers' Association of Oregon
          • Mr. A. C. Hentschel
          • Mystery Clock
          • National Watch Inspection Week
          • New Binocular Loupe
          • New Manning-Bowman Electric Table Broiler
          • New Resinoid Watch Crystals Now Available
          • Nine New Elgin DeLuxe 17 Jewel Models Take the Spot Light
          • Occupational Deferment Notice
          • Pinning Hairsprings
          • Polishing Jewel Settings
          • Progress
          • Proposals
          • Question Box
          • Question Box
          • Question Box
          • Question Box
          • Question Box
          • Question Box
          • Removing Hairsprings
          • Replacing Guard Pins
          • Retailers' Tie-In Campaigns Hitting New Highs, Elgin Finds
          • Rusted Hairsprings
          • Save That Clock
          • Service Bulletin Released
          • Setting Roller Jewels
          • Sharpening The Graver
          • Spring Officially Ushered in at New York Fair
          • That Hard to Find Knock
          • The Enthusiasm For Legislation Grows
          • The Guarantee of Watch Performance
          • The Price of Time Went Up
          • The Problem of the "Comeback"
          • Third Annual Convention Banquet
          • Tightening Cannon Pinions with Plugged Ends
          • Unusual Electric Clock Showing International Time
          • Wake Up The Easy Way
          • Wake Up The Easy Way
          • Watch Mainsprings
          • Watch Out!
          • Watches Presented to Lord and Lady Elgin
          • Watchmaker for Seventy-Two Years
        • More Vintage Horological Articles
          • "Cleaning," At Bargain Prices
          • "No American Watch" Situation Denounced
          • "Perpetual Motion" Clock Run by Changes of Temperature
          • 5,000,000,000 Kilowatt Hours
          • A Letter From The Department of Commerce
          • A Mainspring for This and a Staff for That
          • A Practical Course of Instruction in The Science of Horology
          • A Practical Course of Instruction in The Science of Horology Or The Construction and Repair of Time-Measuring Instruments
          • A Study in Time
          • Alarm Clocks - Quarterly Shipments, 1943 and 1944
          • An Injury at The Factory
          • An Unusual Clock Built By a Bradley Student
          • Anti-Rust Soap
          • Antique Clock
          • Antique English Clock
          • Atomic Jewelry
          • Barber and Clocks
          • California Scientists and Horologists Welcome Maker of Free Pendulum Clocks
          • Challenge Yourself To Become A Better Merchant
          • Cleaning Solutions
          • Closing Train Holes
          • Consider the Benefits
          • Demagnetizing Without Heating
          • Do You Know?
          • Each watch must have a mainspring 200 inches long in it
          • Elgin Announces Its Special Anniversary Line
          • Elgin Employees Visit Fair
          • Elgin Executive Retires After 53 Years
          • Elgin Extends Fair Trade Contracts Into All States Having Fair Trade Laws
          • Elgin Issues New Catalog
          • Elgin Makes a Special Offer
          • Elgin Makes a Special Offer
          • Employees Given Vacations
          • Engagement Rings For Men
          • Files
          • Finding the Correct Length for Mainsprings
          • Finds Pleasure At The Bench
          • Fluorescent Mercury "Daylight" Now Available to Horologists
          • G. I. Finds Fabulous Diamond Treasure
          • Gala War Show
          • Graduation Advertising
          • Gruen Swiss Plant Official Flies Here
          • Guaranteeing Watch Performance
          • Hamilton Fights Added Trade-Mark Infringement
          • Heinrich Johannes Kessels
          • Helps Legislators Recall Days
          • Henry Diehl, Deceased
          • Henry E. Warren
          • How And Why Did I Become a Watchmaker?
          • How I Turn a Staff
          • How Much For Cleaning?
          • How Watch Manufacturers Might Help the Watchmaker and the Customer
          • Human Clocks
          • Imports Seen Detrimental
          • Information Please!
          • Information Please!
          • Information Please!
          • Information Please!
          • Informing the Public
          • Injunction Against Price Cutter Granted
          • Jeweler's Hobby Is Watches
          • Licensing Bills Need Approval of Entire Industry
          • Luck Restores Lost Watch
          • Mainsprings - The Motor of Watches
          • Marshall Introduces New Cement for Unbreakable Crystals
          • Miniature lathe
          • Need For Improvement in Mainspring Winders Stressed
          • New Elgin "Zephyrs" Offer Outstanding Watch Values
          • New Hamilton Watch Numbers
          • Old Watches On Exhibition
          • Opening of Elgin Exhibit Announced
          • Organizer Blocks Legislation
          • Picking A Good Watch
          • Pivoting
          • Post-War German Production
          • Pro and Con
          • Putting A Mainspring in the Barrel
          • Question Box
          • Question Box, Going and Motor Barrels
          • Questions and Answers for the Certified Horologist
          • Radio Watches
          • Reader Believes In Airing Gripes - And Does!
          • Reader Disagrees With Method of Repivoting Arbor
          • Reader Tells of Method To Safeguard Against Fire
          • Rebuilt?
          • Removing Broken Screws
          • Second Hand Watches
          • Seeking Profits
          • Skin Troubles From Wearing Jewelry
          • SlickJewelry Store Burglar Nabbed
          • So You Haven't Any Alarm Clock?
          • Students Build Timepieces
          • Swiss Watches For Allied Leaders
          • Tennessee Horologist Constructs Watch
          • The Adventure of The Insolvent Buyer
          • The American School of Watchmaking
          • The Collector
          • The Importance of Timing
          • The Mainspring
          • Time As a Hobby
          • U.S. Radium Applies Wartime Experience To Improve Radium Dials
          • Wagon Spring Clock
          • Waltham Watch Company Awarded Army-Navy "E"
          • Waltham Watch Company Executive Staff Dinner
          • Watch Bench Problems
          • Watch Dirt
          • Watch Trouble
          • Watches Fail to Rate Properly
          • Waterman Company News
          • What Is to Be Gained by Watchmakers' Union?
          • Why Guarantee A Watch For A Year?
          • Why Perfume Will "Stop A Clock"
          • Women Producing At National Watch
          • You Can Always Get Diamonds!
        • Still More Vintage Horological Articles
          • Accredited Horological Schools
          • Alarm Clocks
          • Information Please!
          • Life of Watch 3 Months In Southwest Pacific
          • Material Supply
          • New Transcontinental Speed Record Set By Two Army Planes, Timed Exclusively By Longines
          • The Making Of A Balance Staff
          • The Separation of Static and Dynamic Beat
          • To Prevent Oil From Creeping
          • Unfair Market practices Stopped
          • WATCHMAKER LICENSING AND AMERICAN NATIONAL RETAIL JEWELERS ASSOCIATION
        • Vintage Horological Articles
          • "Fringe is Fashion" Keynote of Kreisler Promotion
          • "Mystery" Watch, Light in Display
          • $50,000 Worth of Time Clocks
          • 1,500 Year-Old Ring
          • A New Field of Clock Repairing
          • A Practical Course in Position Adjusting
          • A Practical Course of Instruction in The Science of Horology
          • A Practical Course of Instruction in The Science of Horology
          • A Practical Course of Instruction In The Science of Horology
          • A Practical Course of Instruction In The Science of Horology
          • A Tickless Clock
          • Adjusting Bar and It's Use
          • Advice To Young Jewelers
          • Again, Elgin Enforces Fair Trade Contract
          • Alma Service Company Offers Extensive Repair Service
          • Altering and Fitting Stems
          • An Adjustable Watch Case Wrench
          • An Exception
          • An Old Bofton Watch Maker
          • An Outstanding Collector Enters Service
          • Another Waltham Scoop
          • Artificial Arms Equipped With Watches
          • At The Sound of the Gong
          • Attend An Accredited School
          • Automatic-feed Soldering Iron Being Introduced
          • Belgian Wonder Clock
          • Book Reviews
          • Buying Material By Metric System
          • C. and E. Marshall Co. Operates On 40 Hour - 5 Day Week
          • Can You Help? Lets Not Let Him Down
          • Casing
          • Cementing a Roller Jewel
          • Central Arizona Guild Member Averts Phoenix Robbery
          • Chimes
          • Chinese Eye Watch
          • Clock-Stopping
          • Consumer Advertising for Ingersoll's Sweep Second Watches
          • CPA Report on Tin Conservation
          • Davidson's Precision Clock
          • Denver Shop Specializes in Electric Clock Repair
          • Do You Know?
          • Do You Know?
          • Don't
          • Drawing of 15 Tooth Escapement
          • Early American Clock Keys
          • Early Watches
          • East Boston Airport Timed By Waltham
          • Electric Clock-Motors - Caution
          • Elgin Announces 1941 Line
          • Elgin Announces Their New Beryl-X-Balances
          • Elgin Annual Report Ranks First in the Industry
          • Elgin Annual Statement Shows Larger Net Profit
          • Elgin Entertains U.P. Inspectors
          • Elgin National Watch Company 1936-1945 Report
          • Elgin National Watch Company 1936-1945 Report
          • Elgin Watch Exhibit Big Feature of 1939 New York World's Fair
          • Employes Honor Swartchild Family
          • Ethical Advertising
          • Every Elgin Now Assembled In Dust-Free Atmosphere
          • Every Watch a Compass
          • Final Program on "Scientific Timing" Presented
          • Finer Results at a Saving
          • Fitting Stems and Crowns
          • For Intrepid Action
          • Found! Diamonds Looted by Nazis
          • Found! First Elgin Watch Ever Created
          • Friction Jeweling
          • Friesland or Dutch Hood Clock
          • G. E. Display Available
          • Government Buys Timing Machines
          • Gruen to Introduce New Models
          • Hairspring Truing Arbor
          • Hairsprings Touched by Rust
          • Hamilton Watch Company Wins Nation's Highest Award For 1940's Best Advertising Copy
          • Hamliton Watch Names Three New Officers
          • Hansen Poising Tool
          • Helpful Hints
          • Hill Dweller Makes Unusual Clock
          • Horological School News
          • Horological School News
          • Horological School News
          • Horologist of Royalty
          • Human Clock
          • Improper Use of Solvents Causes Dermatitis
          • Information Please!
          • Information Please!
          • Information Please!
          • Information Please!
          • Information Please!
          • Information Please!
          • Iowa Farmer-Jeweler
          • Is The Jeweler's Job A Strain On The Eye?
          • It's "Barrel Time", All the Time With This Big Clock
          • J. B. Matthews Appointed Watchmaster Representative in Southwest
          • Jacob Bachtold - Grand Central Terminal Clockmaster
          • Jeweler Finds Certified Watchmaker a Business-Builder
          • Jewelry Store Burglarized, Loss About $4,000
          • L. Luria and Son, Inc. Opens Miami, Florida Branch
          • L. Luria and Son, Inc. Opens Miami, Florida Branch
          • Labor, Management Pledge Full Production at Elgin
          • Let's Have a Look At the Other Side
          • Let's Unite
          • Longines Hear From Watches In Antarctica
          • Mainsprings
          • Making A Balance Staff
          • Making a Balance Staff
          • Making Fitting of Balance Staffs Pay
          • Man's Conquest of Time
          • Maryland Jewelers Operate In 'Fifth Avenue Manner'
          • Miscellaneous Technical Subjects
          • Moving Clock Found to Run Slower Than Stationary One
          • Naval Horologists
          • Navy Department Calls For Your Help
          • New G. I. A. Glossary Will Aid Entire Industry
          • New General Manager for Burton M. Reid Sons
          • New Grooved Balance Staff
          • New Technical Member
          • New Trends for Third Finger - Left Hand
          • Notes of the Trade
          • Novelty Clock
          • Nuremberg: Town of Inventions
          • Official Time
          • Old Harmonite Clock
          • Old Mainsprings
          • OPA Price Revision
          • Ordering Material
          • Pallet Stones
          • Parker Pen Company Sponsors "Information Please"
          • Pocket Sun Dials
          • Points of Interest
          • Postoffices Go Horological
          • Pro Bono Publico
          • Procedure for Altering Defective Draw
          • Questions and Answers
          • Reasons For Legislation
          • Registration Law
          • Removing Connon Pinions
          • Repairing a Regulator
          • Repeating Attachments
          • Reply to Silbert's Letter
          • Safety Glass Prevents Jewelry Robbery
          • Salvaging Jewels
          • Second Century of Service
          • Seconds-Beat Regulator and Calendar Clock
          • Setting Up An Escapement
          • Shakespeare and Horology
          • Signal Clocks Solve Emergency Guard Problem in West's Largest Hospital
          • Silver-Lined Blackout Bulb Designed
          • Single Pin Escapement
          • Small Upright Drill Press
          • Splitting Hairs
          • Staking the Balance Staff
          • Starts Victory Time Campaign
          • Story of Time Told at New York Fair
          • Studies in the Lever Escapement
          • Sudden Setbacks
          • Suggestion Department
          • Sun Watch and Compass Designed For Sportsmen
          • Surplus Watches
          • Symmetry Vs. Symbolism
          • T. Albert Potter, Elgin President New Head Illinois Mfgrs.
          • Template
          • Tennessee Activity
          • The Mountain of Light
          • The Scrap-Heap Clock
          • The Timepiece and the Auxilary
          • The Venturesome Fool!
          • The Waltham Taper Shoulder Detachable Balance Staff
          • The Watchband Maker of Luzon
          • Time Down in Rhode Island
          • Time For Humor
          • Time for Victory
          • Time In Parish Church
          • Timepiece Extraordinary
          • Tissot "Automatic"
          • To Repair Clock Escape Wheel
          • To the Officers and Members United Horological Association
          • To Tighten Cannon Pinion
          • To Watchmakers Seeking Legislation
          • Trade Secrets
          • Two "Faithful Servitors" Find Place in Elgin Collection
          • Typhoid Fever at Elgin
          • Typhoid Fever In Elgin
          • U. S. Government Calls On Elgin For Precision Instruments
          • Unique Jewelry Shop
          • Violators of 2nd Hand Watch Law Convicted
          • Waltham Watches Played Vital Role in Life of Henry Ford
          • Wanted By F.B.I.
          • Watch Built By Student
          • Watches That Stop
          • Watchmaker Licensing And Rehabilitation
          • Watchmaker's Lament
          • Watchmakers Legislation As It Looks
          • Watchmakers' Registery
          • Watchmaster House Organ
          • Waterproof Watch Is Here To Stay
          • William Helbein
          • Wyler Representative Sold His Watches In War Torn China
      • Vintage Photographs and Other Images
        • Elgin Advertising
        • Factory Photos
        • More Factory Photos
        • Post Cards
  • etc
    • DeWittClinton
Elgintime

Jeff Sexton

jsexton@elgintime.com

Welcome!

This is your source for service and repair of vintage Elgin pocketwatches! Learn about how fine mechanical timepieces work, the history of the once mighty American watch industry, and all about your antique Elgin watch.

Interested in vintage watches but not sure where to start? There's a series of posts at the Elgintime blog just for that. Take a look here.

What's inside a watch? Follow along with vintage watch repairs and service, click here!

Need a vintage pocketwatch serviced? Have any questions? Feel free email me and tell me about your watch, or request more information about repairs here. 

 

Jeff's Elgintime Vintage Horological Blog

The Elgintime blog covers watches, watchmaking, watchmaking tools, projects, history, vintage ephemera and more!

Projects On The Bench Right Now

Follow elgintime on Instagram for daily updates on vintage watches being serviced and repaired. Watches all have a job number, so if your watch is in the queue, you can check anytime to see what's currently being worked on. To see more, more than watches that is, my personal profile is here. The pluspora site does not require a login to browse so feel free.

The Elgin National Watch Company Production Records

Each American made Elgin movement (the "movement" is the "watch works" inside the case) has a serial number, and Elgin left behind pretty good records of these. 

This online database for Elgin Watch Company products can tell you a great deal of information about your watch, based on the serial number of the movement, especially for older pocketwatches. The Elgin company is gone, but it left us with factory records of the ranges of the serial numbers engraved on their movements, and the attributes of the movements included in those production runs. The information includes the year, size, grade, jeweling, finish and more. Look up Elgin watch serial numbers here.The original information in the old records was loaded with exceptions, caveats and out right errors. I make corrections to the data available today online almost every month based on actual watches. There's a lot to do! For a rough idea, there's also a simpler table of the serial numbers and production years here, which shows the approximate year only. This information is much less refined, but will yield a good ballpark answer.

 All about the Elgin National Watch Company 

Learn about what was once one of the country's largest industrial concerns, and the special place in the history of American industrialization that this once mighty watch company occupies. 

There is also this older account of the very beginnings of the company here (written in 1888)

 The Elgintime Watch Museum

There is a little of everything here including photos, articles from early horological publications, vintage advertising, and of course lots of watches.

Elgin Clocks?

Strictly speaking Elgin didn't make clocks. Or did they?

Technical information 

Here is a mixed collection of references and historical information about vintage watches. Mostly Elgin is covered, but some other American watch companies are represented too.

More...

For something different, here's my personal blog

Also, @Elgintime is on Instagram!

Like movies? For sometime completely different, follow me on letterboxd

Other Sites of Interest! 

Elgin.Watch 

Gruen Watches 

Simply Lora's Beauty

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