Elgin Watches Support, Manuals & Customer Service. Elgin National Watch Company: History, Serial Numbers & Production Dates. Including Elgin Watch Serial Numbers and Production Dates Elgin, Illinois The Elgin National Watch Company The Elgin Watch Company (also known as the Elgin National Watch Company) was the largest American watch manufacturer in terms of total production volume.
In fact, Elgin produced approximately one-half of the total number of better-quality pocket watches manufactured in the United States. Total production over their 100 years of operation reached 60 million watches! The clock tower at the Elgin National Watch Company The Elgin National Watch Company was founded in 1864 in Elgin, Illinois as the National Watch Company, and some of the organizers were later to become the some of the biggest names in the American watch industry: J. The "Working Man's" Watch The Elgin Watch Company's success was not built on its production of the highest-grade watches, though some of their higher grades were top-quality, exquisitely made timepieces. Jeff's ElginTime Watch Blog.
Elgin - Welcome. The Elgin watch company was founded in 1864 in Elgin Illinois as the National Watch Company.
It seems that right from the start folk referred to the new products as the watches from Elgin, or Elgin watch. And so in 1874 the name was changed Elgin National Watch Company. Between 1864 and sometime in the 1960s, Elgin manufactured 10s of millions of pocket and wrist watches. The Elgin National Watch Company was for a time, by some measures, one of the largest industrial concerns in the world. Elgin pocketwatches from its early years are particularly interesting because of the methods and philosophy of the Elgin company. Prior to Elgin's time, watches were made completely by hand, frequently by a single craftsman, from start to finish.
Elgin was extremely successful with this strategy. Yet, Elgin recognized that craftsmanship and design were highly valued by the customer. These watches are a product of a unique moment in industrialization and technological development. The Elgin Pocket Watch. The following is an interesting story about the Elgin Pocket Watch Company.
It was found in the July issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine 1869 and gives an interesting insight into the beginnings of this significant maker. Before anyone writes and complains about the grammar and spelling - remember, it was witten in 1869! "WHAT o'clock is it? " asked Emanuel Swedenborg, upon his deathbed. Being told, he answered, "It is well; I thank you; may God bless you;" and the pure spirit of the venerable teacher gently passed away. Civilized man every where, from the cradle to the grave, repeats this question oftener than any other. Primitive man had little need of clocks or watches. Job's expression, "As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow," points to the earliest artificial timekeeper.
In clear weather the dial showed the hour by day, as the stars did by night; but when clouds came something more was needed. For several hundred years they were exceedingly rude and irregular. In 1852, A. Elgin National Watch Company Serial Number, Elgin pocket watch. Elgin Watch Serial Numbers. The serial number on the watch movement itself can be used to determine information about your watch.
A numbers on any part of the watch case, such as a serial number on the inside of the back cover, is a number that goes with the watch case only, and reveals nothing about the watch movement. Enter your watch serial number and click 'Search' to lookup the watch. Elgin watch serial numbers begin with watch number 101 and range up to just over 50000000. Some later serial numbers begin with a single letter. If you have one of these, check here for more information. The year of manufacture must be taken with a grain of salt. Like to see more about antique timepieces and watchmaking? Elgin Watch Co. - National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Message Board.