| Subject: Re: mysterious elgin wristwatch |
Author:
John
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Date Posted: 09:07:16 01/15/05 Sat
In reply to:
sonke johnsen
's message, "mysterious elgin wristwatch" on 13:33:33 01/14/05 Fri
I would concur with Ray's assessment. The serial number records indicate 1910 as the date of the movement's manufacture. However, the records also indicate that this is actually a Grade 354, but still 15 jewels and a "0" size.
About the case - up until sometime during the 1920s or so, the vast majority of watches were sold as loose movements, and cases - which were made by entirely different companies - were sold separately. A customer would pick out what they liked, and the jeweler would put the two together at the store. Cases were also considered somewhat expendable, and less valuable than the watch inside. Once a case wore out, the more valuable movement would be put into a new case, instead of getting a new watch entirely (sort of like changing worn-out tires on a car, instead of getting a whole new car when the tires are balding).
There's a couple of other things to keep in mind with this wristwatch: When first made, this movement was really considered to be made for a women's pocket or lapel watch. Because these smaller women's watches were treated more as jewelry than as reliable timekeepers, most tended to be relatively lower grade/fewer jewels than this one, which meant the smaller but higher grades (and more expensive) watches would sit longer in a jeweler's inventory because they sold more slowly. It was not until WWI that wrist watches for men began to become popular, as up until that time wrist (or "bracelet") watches were considered too effeminate for men. Think of a man wearing earrings in the 1950s.
It's entirely possible that this movement languished unsold for several years in the jeweler's case until the late 1910s when it was finally cased and sold as a man's wristwatch. Or it was originally sold closer to 1910 as a women's watch, and then recased several years later as a man's watch. Without knowing its exact history, it's all speculation. But one thing is for certain - it was made c. 1910.
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