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“Elgin, The Watchword for Elegance and Efficiency.”
By the early 20th century, Elgin was producing over 1 million watches per year and was the largest producer of fine watches in the world.
ELGIN WATCH COMPANY was a leading American watch manufacturer that operated from 1864 to 1968, founded by a group of investors in Elgin, Illinois, and quickly became one of the most successful watchmakers in the United States.
The early years of the company were marked by rapid expansion and innovation. In 1874, the company introduced the first full plate movement, which was more durable and accurate than previous designs. In 1875, Elgin introduced the first watch with a stem winding and setting mechanism, which became the industry standard. The company was also known for its high-quality movements and its innovative designs, which included the first wristwatch with an alarm and the first watch with a shock-resistant balance.
During World War II, Elgin produced watches for the military, including the A-11, which became known as the "Watch That Won the War." After the war, the company continued to produce watches, but faced increasing competition from foreign manufacturers and the rise of quartz technology.
In 1968, the company ceased production and its assets were sold to a group of investors. The Elgin name has since been used by various companies, but the original Elgin Watch Company is remembered as one of the most important American watchmakers in history.
1950 LADY ELGIN
14K White GOLD
U.S.A. Made
A beautiful ladies cocktail wristwatch! This timepiece is a Lady Elgin, reference 891 and dated from 1950.
It is a manual wind watch powered with an original Elgin movement, caliber 650, 19 jewels, 4 adjusted, U.S.A. made.
The watch is cased in a gorgeous 14x14.7mm rectangular case with diamonds on top and bottom and fancy lug design, all in 14K white gold. Fancy dome crystal design.
It still keeps the original champagne dial (showing some age) with blue Arabic Numerals, blue dot/arrow hour marks, bold minute tracks and blue matching hands. Also, the dial is signed with the Elgin name on top.
The watch is coming with a silver tone Speidel stainless textured bracelet with diamonds and it will fit a wrist up to 6" (15.3 cm). Also, it comes in an original Lady Elgin display box.
It is a good looking ladies wristwatch! It is still in good condition! Runs very well, keeps great time.
Thank you for looking! Please feel free to contact us with any questions, or respectful offers.
IMPORTANT – Please be prepared to stand behind any offer you make. Once we accept an offer, it takes the product off of the market for us AND other buyers. If you are considering making an offer and would like to know if we would accept a price, please simply message us and ask PRIOR to making the offer. We ask that you please make a formal offer only once you are committed to the offer.
Movement:
ELGIN
19 Jewels
4 ADJ's
U.S.A.
Cal. 650
H756208
Case Back Signed:
14K Gold
Cased and Timed by
Elgin National Watch Co.
891
14K Gold
Measurements (mm):
Case diameter 14x14.7
Case diameter with Crown 15.7
Case Lug to Lug 29
Case Thickness 8.6
Lug Width 3
Band Width 6
Vintage watches are traditionally smaller than today's watches. Men’s watches typically measure between 29-36mm wide (some larger, some smaller) excluding the crown. In the listing details we typically try to do our best to list all pertinent dimensions of a watch. If you don't see it, or we failed to do so, please reach out to us. Women’s watches from the 1900s-1970s were also much smaller than today's offerings. Please also feel free to ask any questions you have pertaining to size.
We prefer to shoot photographs outside when weather is permitting. However, when we shoot indoors, please be aware that we shoot our photographs inside of lightboxes that are lit with 360 LED bulbs. This indeed magnifies any flaws. Usually, they are much less obvious to the naked eye. Having said that, we never photoshop any of our photography, remove blemishes, etc. We adjust lighting when necessary, but what you see is what you are getting, and we take pride in that.
The condition is pre-owned.
The item may have some signs of cosmetic
wear but is fully operational and functions as intended.
Please review the photos and feel free to ask any questions you may have.
It will be carefully packed.
Please view our other listings.
Thank you for looking!
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Please be aware that the item you are
bidding on or purchasing is a VINTAGE item. If this item is a watch, unless
otherwise noted, it is keeping accurate time over a 2–4-hour time period. We
specialize in watches that are 20-100 years old, and as such, these items are
previously worn, and the quality of the item WILL reflect that. Expect for a
vintage timepiece to have blemishes... this is part of what gives these amazing
pieces their charm. Further, unless a watch specifically says that it has been
recently serviced, expect that at some point in time, this timepiece will need
a professional servicing in order to run and keep excellent time, which is also
part of the experience of owning any mechanical watch. If an extremely
accurate, worry-free experience is what you are seeking, we would
recommend purchasing a new quartz watch. Very few, if any, vintage watches
will keep as accurate time as a modern quartz watch.
We do our absolute best to take accurate photographs of our items and to show
any blemishes.
Examples of common characteristics of a
vintage timepiece are:
-imperfections on the crystal
-imperfections on case
-imperfections on the lugs
-unless stated that the strap is new, the leather is often quite old and may
need replacing in the future
-metal bracelets may not include all of the links that the watch originally may
have come with, but can be replaced with a bracelet or strap of your choosing
If the item is a piece of vintage jewelry, be aware that the item may have some
minor blemishes such as:
-missing stones (view photos, we will NEVER photoshop in a missing stone or
piece)
-minor scratches or discoloration
-fading of plating
-fading of paint
We do our best to take accurate photos and provide accurate descriptions. Please take time to view our high-resolution photos of the item, and please ask any questions you may have prior to placing your bid. We want this purchasing experience to be pleasant and surprise-free. Vintage and antique items, unless "new old stock", have been around the block a time or two.
Thank you for your business! We hope to see you return in the
future!
WA-1674