Elgin Pocket Watch Case Markings

Also the names that are marked on the movement have been abbreviated.

Elgin pocket watch case markings. Gold sterling silver coin silver made from melted us coinage nickel and plated brass. If one of those markings is visible then your pocket watch is gold. The watch codes are similar ones are used by many experienced watch collectors. American pocket watches used a system of relatively standard watch sizes so it was possible for a customer to select the watch movement they wished to purchase and then select a case to hold it.

If you have a quartz watch one that uses a battery one with a logo instead of the name elgin on the dial or anything made after around 1965 then you are pretty much out of luck. The presence of a signed crown will add another piece to the puzzle however they were not used for all or even the majority of models. After 1925 you will find factory models with the case back being stamped cased and timed by the elgin national watch co but there are exceptions to this as well this continued until about 1969ish. Precious metals control act 1880.

Alwaysselect the correct manufacturer which is usually stamped on the watch movement or dial. Prior to the 1960s the inside of the case back will typically be marked with cased and timed by the elgin national watch co signed crowns can also be useful. So if someone is selling a watch as solid gold and it has a movement serial number of say 3 870 123 and it has. Neveruse the serial number from the case or any other part.

When one of the symbols shown in the picture was stamped in a watch case the xx or xxx was replaced by the registration number indicating the maker of the watch case. I have zero information about these newer watches. English watch manufacturers objected to imported watch cases having british hallmarks because they said people could be deceived into thinking the watch was of english make so the merchandise marks act of 1887 specified new town marks to be struck as part of a composite hallmark with the word foreign across the middle. Cases could be made of a wide variety of metals.

Back to the top of the page. There is a full description of this system and tables of the marks at poinçons de maître. This should be easy to see as it will be impressed into the inside back cover.