Watches of the Elgin Almanac (1871-1876)

The watches of the Elgin
Almanac (1871-1876)
Luis Casillas
NAWCC Chapter 5 (San Francisco)
May 11, 2014

What was Elgin?
• One of the largest watch companies in America
and the whole world.
• Focused primarily on volume production, but
made both low and high grade watches.

A very incomplete timeline
Year Event
1864 Founding of the National Watch Company of Chicago, Illinois.
1865
Company renamed to just National Watch Company.
Factory started in Elgin, IL.
1867 First watches completed.
1874 Renamed to Elgin National Watch Company.
1920s Largest watch factory in the world.
1964 Exited the watch industry.

What is the Elgin Almanac?
• A series of yearly promotional almanacs that Elgin
published from 1871 to 1876.
• These contain:
• Illustrations and descriptions of Elgin’s product
lineup for each of these years.
• Product announcements
• Random fun stuff…

Why am I talking about this?
• I’ve been putting together a collection of early
Elgin watches based on the Almanacs.
• I haven’t seen any clear accounts of:
• What watches are shown in the Almanacs.
• What variations these were made in.
• Also, it’s fun. Lots of period ﬂavor…

Methodology
• I read a lot.
• I systematically skim nearly all eBay listings for Elgin watches.
• Also other websites (e.g., forums, online dealers), books, etc.
• I write down every watch with serial number ≤ 600,000 in a
spreadsheet, along with my descriptions and notes.
• I have ±675 observations so far from just over a year of work.
• I collect Elgin watches from this period and examine them.

Let’s ﬁrst look at some
typical early Elgin watches…

G.M. Wheeler!
#169,590, c. 1874/75!
“National Watch Co.” dial
The key wind/key set G. M. Wheeler
is most commonly seen Elgin men’s
watch from this period.

Dedication:!
“J.C. Richardson
TO
Simon Green
May 17/1875”
G.M. Wheeler!
#169,590, c. 1874/75

G.M. Wheeler!
#169,590, c. 1874/75

Lady Elgin!
#937,471, c. 1881!
“E.N.W.Co.” dial
This is an 1881 watch,
but the ﬁrst of these
were made in 1869.

Lady Elgin!
#937,471, c. 1881!
Key wind and set

Split ¾ plate construction
Key wind and set
15 jewels, expansion balance

Barrel bridge shape
Sharp Wavy
The earliest 18 size Elgins had the “sharp” bridge; later ones
used the “wavy” shape. I think the switch happened
between 1875 and 1878, and not all at once.

Misleading References
These diagrams (originally from Elgin’s 1915 parts catalog) are
misleading. There are wavy bridge Model 1 watches, and sharp
bridge Model 2-4 watches. (Also, the model/date table is wrong.)

Misleading References
• The standard reference sources give inaccurate
information about the watches I’ll talk about.
• This includes:
• The Price Guide
• The various online serial number databases
• Even some Elgin parts catalogs! (Earlier ones
are more accurate about early watches.)

1871 Elgin Almanac
Scans by Wayne Schlitt

It’s an almanac…
• Most of it is dedicated to:
• Moon phases
• Sun/moon rise/set times
• But note the poems at the
top of the page.

Correspondence with the Tongzhi Emperor
about a watch gifted him by the company

Timezones did not exist yet
No timezones = each city set its clocks by the sun.
New York City is 5 minutes ahead of Philadelphia!

Same latitude = same rise and set times
Timezones did not exist yet

1871 Product Lineup
Each Almanac shows Elgin’s product lineup for that year.
This is what we’re most interested in!

1871 Product Lineup (1/2)
Name Description
B.W. Raymond
18 size, 15 jewels with screwed settings, fast beat (18,000
bph), straight-line escapement, expansion balance,
temperature adjustment.
H.Z. Culver
18 size, 15 jewels with screwed settings, fast beat, straight-
line escapement, expansion balance.
Lady Elgin
10 size, 15 jewels, fast beat, straight-line escapement,
expansion balance.
H.H. Taylor 18 size,15 jewels with screwed settings, expansion balance.
G.M. Wheeler 18 size, 11 jewels with screwed settings, expansion balance.
Mat. Laﬂin 18 size, 7 jewels, expansion balance.
All 1871 watches were key wind/key set.

1871 Product Lineup (2/2)
Name Description
W.H. Ferry 18 size, 15 jewels with screwed settings, solid balance.
M.D. Ogden 18 size, 11 jewels, fake expansion balance.
J. V. Farwell 18 size, 11 jewels, solid balance.
Chas. Fargo
18 size, 7 jewels, solid balance (1871 Almanac)
18 size, 7 jewels, fake expansion balance (1872 and later)
J.T. Ryerson 18 size, 7 jewels, solid balance.
All 1871 watches were key wind/key set.

Features: slow vs. fast beat
• How quickly the watch ticks. Faster is better.
• Most of the lineup ticked at 16,200 beats per hour.
• The higher-end men’s and all the ladies’ watches
ticked at 18,000 beats per hour.
• The B.W. Raymond was America’s fastest-
ticking watch at its introduction (1867).
• Today the standard is 28,800 bph.

• Used in Elgin’s cheapest
watches of this period.
• 92° F runs ±5 minutes/day
slower than 32° F!
Solid balance wheel

Solution: bimetallic strip
When you connect or fuse two materials with different
coefﬁcients of expansion, the strip will curl under heat.
Graphic from Wikipedia

Expansion balance wheel
• Notice the cuts near the
center arm.
• Those ends curl inwards
when temperature rises.
• The screws are moved to
adjust the temperature vs.
weight distribution curve.
• Note the fat heads.
They are for mass.
Photo from Wikipedia

Fake expansion balance
No cut!
Elgin M.D. Ogden
#153,952, c. 1873
Bimetallic construction + screws,
but no cut on rim. Makes your
watch look fancier than it really is.

Modern Watches
• Modern watches (1930+)
use special, temperature-
insensitive alloys for their
hairsprings.
• Expansion balances
disappeared starting
about 1930.
Photo from Wikipedia

Features: watch jewels
• Polished jewels have very
low-friction surfaces.
• Pierced jewels make
excellent bearings for the
wheels’ pivots.
• More expensive watches
had more jewels.
• Cheap synthetic rubies
weren’t mass-produced
until 1903.
Red: jewel
Gray: metal
Yellow: oil
Graphic from Wikipedia

7 Jewel Watch
Mat. Laﬂin
#11,051
c. 1868
4 jewels
(2 each side)
Not
Jeweled
Not
Jeweled
Three more jewels in
the escapement
Seven jewels is the
basic assortment to
make sure the “heart”
of the watch (balance
and escapement)
works optimally.

15 Jewel Watch
B.W. Raymond
#758, c. 1867
4 jewels
(two each side)
2 jewels each
(one each side)
2 jewels each
(one each side)
The extra jewels reduce
friction in the gear train.
Makes it easier to make
the watch more precise
(but doesn’t guarantee it!)

11 Jewel Watch
G.M. Wheeler
#10,357, c. 1868
4 jewels
(two each side)
1 jewel each
(none other side)
1 jewel each
(none other side)
Three more jewels in
the escapement
An 11 jewel watch is
one that is made to
look like it has 15
jewels, but omits the
4 counterpart jewels
on the dial side.
!
Again, this just
makes the watch look
more expensive.

Jewel counts in the 1870s
• Very few watches in the 1870s (and 1880s) had
more than 15 jewels.
• A 15 jewel watch was said to be “fully jeweled.”
• It wasn’t until the 1890s that 17+ jewel watches
became commonplace.

Straight-line escapement
• Used in Elgin’s higher
grade men’s watches,
and the ladies’ watches.
• Also known as “Swiss
lever.”
• Used almost universally
since the 1920s.
Thank you again, Wikipedia

Right angle escapement
• Older design, typical
of English watches.
• Most early Elgins had
this. Exceptions:
• B.W. Raymond
• H.Z. Culver
• The ladies’ key
wind watches
From Cutmore (1985)

Right angle vs. straight line escapement
The balance, pallet fork and escape
wheel pivots are in a straight line.
The banking pins are between the
pallet fork and fourth wheel pivots.
The balance, pallet and escape
wheel holes form a right angle.
The banking pins are outside of the
angle formed by the pivots.

Other construction details
• There were other construction differences
between Elgin’s various watches of this period.
• All the watches were made from the same basic
design, but the better watches used better
quality parts.
• The precise details are harder to determine.

Classifying Elgin’s 1871 movements
• This is not entirely serious:
• The original ones
• The Lady Elgin
• The “poseurs”

The Original Ones
Name Description
B.W. Raymond
18 size, 15 jewels with screwed settings, fast beat (18,000
bph), straight-line escapement, expansion balance,
temperature adjustment.
H.Z. Culver
18 size, 15 jewels with screwed settings, fast beat, straight-
line escapement, expansion balance.
H.H. Taylor 18 size,15 jewels with screwed settings, expansion balance.
G.M. Wheeler 18 size, 11 jewels with screwed settings, expansion balance.
Mat. Laﬂin 18 size, 7 jewels, expansion balance.
J.T. Ryerson 18 size, 7 jewels, solid balance.
These are the ﬁrst six watches Elgin made (1867-68).

Who were these people?
• A combination of:
• Large investors in the company;
• Members of the board of directors;
• Company executives.

• Benjamin Wright Raymond
• Second Mayor of Chicago
• President of the Fox River Railroad, which
connected Elgin to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
• Elgin’s founder, ﬁrst investor and ﬁrst
President.

• Howard Zoroaster Culver, George M. Wheeler
• Associates of Raymond
• Members of the initial group of investors

• Matthew Laﬂin, John T. Ryerson:
• Made very important investments on the
company in 1867.
• Their families were to become the company’s
largest shareholders for most of its history.

The Lady Elgin
• First made in 1869 (Crossman, Abbott).
• Pretty good movement:
• 18,000 bph
• Straight-line escapement
• Expansion balance
• 15 jewels

The “poseurs”
Name Description
W.H. Ferry 18 size, 15 jewels with screwed settings, solid balance.
M.D. Ogden 18 size, 11 jewels, fake expansion balance.
J. V. Farwell 18 size, 11 jewels, solid balance.
Chas. Fargo
18 size, 7 jewels, solid balance (1871 Almanac)
18 size, 7 jewels, fake expansion balance (1872 and later)
None has an expansion balance, yet all have some “fancy” feature.
I hope I didn’t insult nobody’s great-great-great-great-granddaddy’s watch…

Note: exceptions exist!
Elgin M.D. Ogden, #153,952
Fake expansion balance
4 train jewels on top plate (11 total?)
Elgin M.D. Ogden, #314,384
True expansion balance
2 train jewels on top plate (11 total?)

• Mahlon Dickerson Ogden:
• “There was a Mahlon D. Ogden, a ‘millionaire
real estate developer’ whose house survived the
Chicago ﬁre of 1871. […] Another reference
described Mahlon as the brother of William B.
Ogden. William was the ﬁrst mayor of Chicago
and the founder of the Galena and Chicago
Railroad.” — Ron Birchall, NAWCC forum
• Mahlon Dickerson Ogden (rootsweb)

Who where these people?
• Chas. Fargo:
• One of Elgin’s directors (Crossman 1885-87).
• Likely Charles Fargo, Vice President and
General Manager of the Western Department
of American Express.
• Relative of William George Fargo, cofounder
of both American Express and Wells Fargo.

• William Henry Ferry (1819-1880) was an American
politician from New York.
• New York State Senate (19th D.,1860 and 1861).
• Director at the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad.
• Also one of Elgin’s directors.
• Apparently father-in-law to Charles Knapp Giles,
brother of Frederick Asa Giles (founder of US Watch
Co. of Marion, NJ).

1872: new ladies’ watches
Name Description
Frances Rubie 15 jewels, adjusted
Lady Elgin (1871) 15 jewels
Gail Borden 11 jewels
Dexter St. 7 jewels
All the ladies’ watches were quick beat and had expansion
balances and straight-line escapements.

What’s up with those names?
• I haven’t heard any explanation at all for the name
“Frances Rubie.”
• Gail Borden was an Elgin investor.
• He was also the founder of Borden Foods.
• He also had a condensed milk factory in Elgin.
• There’s currently no “Dexter St.” in Elgin, but Elgin City
Hall is at 150 Dexter Ct., at the end of Dexter Ave.

Frances Rubie!
#50,334!
c. 1871-1874!
Single sunk dial!
“E.N.W.Co.”!
Fleur-de-lys hands
These also came with
double sunk dials.
Earlier watches have a
“N.W.Co.” monogram;
not clear if I got the
original dial 😑.

Frances Rubie!
#50,334, c. 1871-1874!
15 jewels!
Expansion balance!
Adjusted
Note “Moseley’s
Patent” on balance
cock; this is common
in Elgin’s earliest
ladies’ watches.
!
Later ones have
“Patent Stud” or just
“Patent.”

Gail Borden!
#189,594, 1872-73!
11 jewels, “N.W.Co.” dial

Elgin 10 size dials, pre- and post-1874
“N.W.Co.” (1869-1874) “E.N.W.Co.” (1874+)
Gail Borden, #189,594 Frances Rubie, #50,334

When I ﬁrst saw this difference, I thought
it was an error by the illustrators…
Straight vs. “cutout” plate

Straight vs. “cutout” bridge
But Nigel Harrison on the NAWCC message board noticed that a “straight
plate” Gail Borden exists. (Open question: was there a “straight” Dexter St.?)
Gail Borden!
#185,018
Gail Borden!
#189,594

B.W. Raymond, 1871 vs. 1872
18721871
1872 depicts two variants:
• Adjusted + patent regulator
• Plain (no “Adjusted” mark)

B.W. Raymond variants
1872
1871
f th v nt r pr nt d
d r t ll p l tt nt n t th
t r d f th "B. . R nd"
v nt, l t th " H. Z. l
v r" nd " H. H. T l r" dj t
d. P rt l r tt nt n v n n
th n f t r f th v nt
t th r dj t nt nd r l t n,
nd t b l v d th t th r , th
t x pt n, th b t f ll pl t
t h d n th ntr Th
h v b n bj t d t v r n n
t t n th r p n l nd nd t r,
p n th r l nd n h p , nd
r lt th r n t d , th th d l
r h h v ld th , nd th p r
h r h r r n th ,
n th f n t t p r n th
r t. T t n l ld b pr nt d
fr h ndr d f d nt r t d d l r ,
nd fr th nd f l d n t z n ,
t th tr th f th b v , f n
d r d n r . T r lr d n,
h b n d r n t th
t h t r l bl f r th r ,
ld th t th l n t h
r p r h d b th P nn lv n
R lr d ., nd pl d n th
h nd f th r n n r p rt
f th r n n p nt. l ,
h v nt r pr nt d
r t ll p l tt nt n t th
r d f th "B. . R nd"
v nt, l t th " H. Z. l
nd " H. H. T l r" dj t
P rt l r tt nt n v n n
n f t r f th v nt
h r dj t nt nd r l t n,
t b l v d th t th r , th
x pt n, th b t f ll pl t
h d n th ntr Th
b n bj t d t v r n n
n th r p n l nd nd t r,
n th r l nd n h p , nd
lt th r n t d , th th d l
1875
But according to my
database, the Almanacs
do not depict an accurate
sequence of Raymond
variants. In real life, #3
appears at the same time
as #2, and #1 is no longer
made after that.
1 2
1
3
2

B.W. Raymond!
#758, c. 1867!
Single sunk dial!
“National Watch Co.”
Coin silver hunter case
Fleur-de-lys hands
18 size (45mm dial)

B.W. Raymond!
#758 (c. 1867)!
“Plain” variant!
Fancy script
“Extra Fancy”
Signature
Burt’s Patent!
(very early)

“Extra fancy cursive”
Early B.W. Raymond watches
(serial # under ±35,000)
“Fancy cursive”
Other early watches
(serial # under ±56,000)
Barrel bridge script

“Regular cursive”
“Print”
M.D. Ogden & Chas. Fargo
Barrel bridge script

B.W. Raymond!
#260,878 (c. 1874)!
Double sunk dial!
“Elgin Nat’l Watch Co.”!
Coin silver case!
18 size (45mm dial)
The company changed its name
in May 1874 from “National
Watch Company” to “Elgin
National Watch Company.” The
dials changed accordingly.
!
Fleur-de-lys hands are very
common on B.W. Raymond
watches as late as the 1890s.
(Also on Frances Rubie.)

B.W. Raymond!
#260,878 (c. 1874)!
“Adjusted” mark!
No Patent Regulator
Regular!
Cursive
Patent Pinion!
mark
“Adjusted”!
c. 1872+!
#128,xxx+

B.W. Raymond!
#182,499 (c. 1873)!
Double sunk dial!
“National Watch Co.”
• The B.W. Raymond came in
four dial variants:
1. Single sunk, “National”
2. Double sunk, “National”
3. Single sunk, “Elgin”
4. Double sunk, “Elgin”
• This double sunk National
dial isn’t super common.
• There are also the famous
Pennsylvania Railroad dials
(very collectible, hella $$$).
• The only other Almanac
watch with double sunk dials
is the Frances Rubie.

Patent Regulator!
c. 1872+ (#128,xxx+)
“Adjusted”
B.W. Raymond!
#182,499 (c. 1873)!
“Adjusted” mark!
Patent Regulator
Patent!
Pinion!
mark
• In the very earliest
patent regulator
Raymond watches
(c. 128,xxx), the
“Patent Pinion” mark
was further away
from the center, so
that the regulator
covers part of it.

“Patent Regulator”
• The common term in American watches for a
micrometric regulator.
• A device that allows setting the regulator more
ﬁnely and precisely.
• Every American watch company had their own
version of this, hence they all boasted of
having “patent” regulators.

C. S. MOSELEY & G. HUNTER.
_ Watch-Regulators.
N0_157,02l, Patented Nov.17,1874~
Moseley/Hunter regulator
In spite of the Nov. 1874 grant date, Elgin was selling these as
early as 1872. (The application date is not on the patent.)

1872: Adjusted variants of
H.Z. Culver and H.H. Taylor
• These key-wind movements
were now made in two
variants, one with more
careful adjustment.
• The mark is easily attested
by observing watches.
• It’s not clear what the specs
were for adjusted versions,
but not very high; probably
no more than 3 positions.

1872: Adjusted variants of
H.Z. Culver and H.H. Taylor
H.Z. Culver, #170,233 H.Z. Culver, #174,403, Adjusted

1872: Chas. Fargo “upgrade”
1871 1872
Diagram changed from solid balance to bimetallic.
Depicted with jeweled holes as well?

1872: Chas. Fargo “upgrade”
Chas. Fargo #103,026
Solid balance,1871 or earlier
≤ 3,000 made (my estimate)
Chas. Fargo #281,640
Fake expansion balance,1872 or later
≤ 67,000 made?

1872: No more J.V. Farwell
• Not very many of these
were made (≤ 3,000?)
J.V. Farwell, #111,029 (c. 1871)

1873 Almanac
• Same lineup as the 1872 edition.
• Same illustrations and same text.

1874: ﬁrst editorial from the company

1874 Almanac
• The editorial announces Elgin’s ﬁrst production
stem wind watches.
• But still key set!
• Movement illustrations identical to 1872/73.

Under-dial view and comparison to patent illustration
illllllllllll“
WiTNE55E5=‘Q',INVENTU
,%7a46%¢ZZZ/MwrvI
,//.)j_,cvmawr,a
UNITED STATES
CHARLES S. MOSELEY, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH HIS
PATENT OFFIov.
RIGHT TO THE NATIONAL WATCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.
IMPROVEMENT IN STEM-WINDING WATCHES.
Speci?cation forming part of Letters Patent N0. 161,262, dated March 23, 1875; application ?led
April 18, 1874.
To all whom it may concern .
Be it known that I, CHAS. S. MosELEY, of
Elgin, in the county of Kane and in the State
of Illinois, have invented certain new and use:
ful Improvements in Stem-“?nding Attach
ments for Watches ; and do hereby declare
that the following is a full, clear, and exact
description thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, making a part of
this speci?cation, in which-—
‘ Figure 1 is a plan view of the face side of
a watch-movement containing my improved
winding mechanism. Fig. 2 is a like view of
the opposite or back side of the same. Figs.
3 and 4 are sections upon lines a; a; and z 2,
respectively, of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are per
spective views of the upper and lower sides,
respectively, of the bridge of the stem-wind
ing train. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the inner
faces of the sections which compose said
bridge. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the
stem, its bevel'pinion, and the bearing for its
inner end. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the
back side of the main gear, with the spring
friction-ring in place. Fig. 10 is a like view
of said parts separated from each other. Fig.
11 is a, perspective view of the face side of
said main gear. Fig. 12 is a like view of the
same, with its central and outer portions sep
arated. Fig. 13 is an enlarged central sec
tion of said gear, and Fig. 111 is a perspective
view of the vibrating arm or bearing-plate of
the intermediate pinion.
Letters of like name and kind refer to like
parts in each of the ?gures. .
My invention is an improvement in a class of
watches in which the mainspring is coiled or
wound by the rotation of the stem; and it 0011
sists, principally, in the combined miter and
spur wheels, constructed in the manner and
for the purpose substantialy as is hereinafter
speci?ed. It consists,‘ further, in the means
employed for connecting the vibrating arm,
which carries the intermediate pinion, to or
with the main or driving gear, substantially
as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It
consists, further, in the construction of the
bridge which carries the winding-train, sub
stantially as and for the purpose hereinafter
set forth. It consists, further, in the con~
struction of the driving-pinion, and its com
bination with the bridge and stem or push-pin,
substantially as and for the purpose herein
after shown and described.
In the annexed drawings, A and A’ repre
sent the sections of a bridge, which have each
ageneral semicircular shape, and are connected
together by means of dowel-pins and screws,
in the usual manner. Within thecontiguous
sides of the sections A and A’ is formed a
cylindrical opening, a, that extends from the
outer edge of the bridge inward to or near
the center of the circle upon which said edge
is formed, and at a suitable point between the
ends of said opening is provided an enlarge
ment, at’, that has such radial dimensions as
to cause it to extend entirely through said
sections. Within the opening or bearing a is
placed a cannon-pinion, C, the barrel of which
rests within and ?lls the outer portion of said
opening, while the toothed portion 0, at the
inner end of said pinion, is contained within
the enlargement to’. The opening within the
outer portion of the pinion-barrel is square,
and receives the correspondingly-shaped end
at of a push-pin or stem, D, while within the
opposite end of said pinion-barrel the open
ing is round, and contains one end of a pin,
E, the opposite end of which ?ts into and
closely ?lls the inner end of the bearing a.
As thus arranged, the outer portion of the
bearing a and the outer end of the pin E fur
nish bearings, within and upon which the pin
ion C revolves freely, while, by means of a
shoulder, e, formed upon said pin E, against
which the inner end of said pinion bears, and
the contact of the outer side of the toothed
portion 0 with the corresponding side of the
enlargement a’, the longitudinal position of
said pinion is insured. Upon the outer face
of the section A is formed a round boss, A”,
that corresponds to and ?lls a recess, f, that
is provided within one face of a bevel-gear
wheel, F, which wheel is pivoted thereon, and
held in position by means of a screw, f’, that
passes through its center into the center of
said boss, so as to enable its teeth to mesh
with the teeth of the pinion O.
H.H. Taylor!
Stem wind/key set!
#155,399, 1873-1874!
Fewer than 650 made?

Stem wind/key set H.Z. Culver!
#235,104, 1873
Only made for about a year; fewer than 450?
Photos courtesy of Jones & Horan Auction Team

Almanac watches with
stemwinding versions
• B.W. Raymond
(Adjusted, pat. reg)
• H.Z. Culver (Adjusted)
• H.H. Taylor (Adjusted) 
• G.M. Wheeler
• Mat. Laﬂin
• M.D. Ogden

1875 Almanac changes
• Lever setting announced.
• T.M. Avery: new, low-cost watch.
• Required a non-standard size case (±17½)
• Was sold factory cased.
• Both B.W. Raymond variants (with patent regulator and
without) are now depicted as “Adjusted.”
• …but as I said earlier, in real life the change actually
happened c. 1872.

G. HUNTER.`
Hand-Setting Attachments for Watchès.
l Patented June t6
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
GEORGE HUNTER, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH HIS RIGHT
TO THE NATIONAL WATCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.
y IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-SETTING“> ATTACHMENTS FOR WATCHES.
Specilïcntion forming part of Letters Patent Ne. 152,113, dated June 1G. U74; application filed
March 30, 1874.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, GEORGE HUNTER, ot’
Elgin, in the county of Kane and in the State
of Illinois, have invented certain new and use
i‘ul Improvements in Hand - Setting Attach
ments for Watches; and do hereby declare
that the following is a full, clear, and exact
description thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying drawing making a part of this
specification, in which
Figure 1 is a planview ofthe upper or face
side of a watch-movement containing my im
proved attachment. Fie. 2 is an enlarged
plan view of the toothed driving-ring, and the
pivoted lever within which it is journaled.
Fig. 3 is a section’ot' the same upon line x x of
Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a plan view and a side ele
vation of the cannon-pinion; and FiU‘. 5 is a
plan view and a longitudinal section of the
lever employed for throwing the setting at
tachment into engagement, and for locking the
winding-gearin fr.
Letters of like name and kind refer to like
parts in each of the figures.
The object of my invention is to simplify
the construction and increase the eiiiciency ot"
mechanism employed for setting the hands of
a watch through or by means of the stem or
push-pin; and it consists, principally, in an
externally and internally toothed ring sur
rounding the cannon - pinion, and capable of
lateral adjustment, so as to cause its inner
teeth to engage with the same, and its exter
nal teeth to simultaneously mesh with one of
the wheels ot' the winding-train, substantially
as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.
It consists, further, in the construction of
the pivoted lever upon which the toothed
ringisjournaled, and its combination with said
ring, substantially as and for the purpose here
inafter shown.
In the annexed drawing, A represents the
upper plate ot' a watch-movement, vwithin
which are journaled the center-wheel stati' I3,
winding-arbor È, and other portions of an or
larger diameter, and is serrated or toothed
upon its periphery, as seen in Fig. 4. Within
a recess formed in the plate A, below the dial
wheel E, is placed a ring, F, which, upon its
inner periphery, is provided with teeth or scr
rations f, that correspond to the tooth upon
the disk el ot' the pinion I), while upon the
outer periphery of said ring are formed gear
teeth j", ot’ usual size and shape, the interior
dimensions of said ring being such as that,
when placed equidistant at all points from
said cannon-pinion, their contiguous surfaces
shall not come into contact. ÑVithin the up
per side of the toothed ring F is formed a re
cess, f", the bottom of which is parallel with
its faces, while the side of said recess inclines
upward and inward, as seen in Fig. 3.
The recess f”, thus constructed, receives a
correspondingly-shaped annular boss 0r en
largement, g, that is formed upon one end of
a bar, G, a section ot' said boss being removed,
so as to enable it to be sprung together sut'
iiciently to pass within said recess, after which,
by expansion, it will be caused to closely fill
the latter, and will then furnish a bearing for
and upon which the ring F may revolve.
The bar or lever G, having the form shown
in Figs. l, 2, and 3, is pivoted, at or near its
longitudinal center, upon the plate A, and,
moving in a horizontal plane, enables the
toothed ring F to be thrown laterally into or
out ot' engagement with the cannon-pinion D.
'When the toothed ring F is thrown into en
gagement with the cannon-pinion D, its outer
teethf’ mesh with the corresponding teeth ot' a
spur-gear wheel, H , which latterforms the main
wheel of the train that connects the winding
arbor O and the stem or push-pin I, and ena
bles said arbor to be revolved within its bear
ings by said stein ; by which means it will be
seen that the motion of said stem, communi
cated through said gear II and toothed ring
F, will cause said cannon-pinion to revolve,
and thus enable the hands to be adjusted.
As the means employed for throwing the
H.Z. Culver!
#236,238, c. 1875-77!
Stem wind, slide lever set
I have a talk on this topic…

H.H. Taylor, #158,372 (c. 1877?)
At some point in 1875-1878,
the remaining stock of slide
lever watches was modiﬁed
to use a pull-out lever.

T.M. Avery!
#408,601!
c. 1875
• T.M. Avery was Elgin’s
second president (1867
to 1898).
• This watch doesn’t fit
into standard size
cases. The market
hated this, and the
watch didn’t survive
long (1878?).
• Elgin may have
exported much of the
remaining stock to
England.
• I think this particular
watch is in a case that
was modified to fit it.

Elgin N.W. Co.!
Coin silver watch case!
17½ size, c. 1875-1877
This one’s on an Elgin
Leader 17½ size watch
(#421,481, c. 1876/77)

THE FRANKLIN JEWELRY COMPANY'S PRICE LIST. 47
He doth much that doth a thing well.
SOLID SILVER ELGIN WATCHES.
Warranted Huutms? Case (Coin Silver). Genuine (Elgin) American Works.
ABO "E WORKS IN
HUNTING CASE, Coin Silver.
2 oz. Case, $13.50 3 oz. Case, S16.50
4 oz. Case, $18.00
Fine Gold Oreide Case, . . . $12.00
ABOVE WORKS IN
HUNTING CASE, Coin SUver.
2 oz. Case, ?16.50 3 oz. Case, §18.00
4 oz. Case, $21.00
$280 $350
$375
$350
$250
$375
$440
$315
2013 Dollars!
(inﬂation adjusted)
Franklin Jewelry Catalog
Philadelphia, c. 1875
Accounting for inﬂation, a
lower-end 1875 Elgin cost
about the same as a lower-
end smartphone in 2014
(no-contract prices).
!
By 1897, a “dollar” watch
would cost about $25 in
2013 dollars.
!
Amazon today sells Casio
wristwatches for $10.

Franklin Jewelry (cont.)
'?
ABO "E WORKS IN
2 oz. Case, $13.50 3 oz. Case, S16.50
4 oz. Case, $18.00
ABOVE AVORKS IX
2 oz. Ca.se, 616.00 3 oz. Case, $18.00
4 oz. Case, $21.00
ABOVE WORKS IN
HUNTING CASE, Coin SUver.
2 oz. Case, ?16.50 3 oz. Case, §18.00
4 oz. Case, $21.00
ABOVE WORKS IN
2 oz. Case, $16.00 3 oz. Case, $19.00
•
4 oz. Case, $23.00
The eugravings represent the style of works which we encase in our coin
SILVER CASES or solicl fine oreide cases, guaranteed to wear and keep time.
We have marked prices under each style, and will use this occasion to assure
our patrons of the excellence and durability of these well-known and
$375
$335
$335
$440
$335
$480
2013 Dollars!
(inﬂation adjusted)
$400
$315

1876 Almanac
• The last Elgin Almanac.
• The movement lineup pages are almost the
same as 1875.
• Small but ominous change: some text was
deleted.

1875 Almanac text
“Purchasers will please note that no movement purporting to be of
Elgin manufacture is genuine unless the trade mark upon it
corresponds with some one of the cuts shown upon these pages.”

1876 Almanac
Scan courtesy of Greg Frauenhoff.
The warning was been deleted!

What happened in 1875/76?
• Elgin started to move away from this system of watches
named after persons.
• (Seriously, could anybody keep those names straight?)
• The only ﬁrst-generation names that survived were:
• H.H. Taylor (until 1895; low-end railroad watch)
• G.M. Wheeler (until early 1930s? “gentleman’s” watch)
• B.W. Raymond (until the end; railroad watch)

• Elgin started reducing manufacturing costs, and
would soon offer expansion balances on all their
watches.
• Fake expansion balances seem to have
disappeared ﬁrst (c. 1876?).
• But solid balances didn’t last much longer.

• I think I see three stages (but they overlap a lot):
1. Nameless watches were made in 1875-76 for
Elgin’s short-lived London ofﬁce.
2. “Odd name” watches were made for a brief
period around 1876/77.
3. Domestic nameless watches were also made
from 1876/77, and soon displaced the “odd
names.”

Elgin’s London Ofﬁce Watches
• Almost nothing is has been written about these.
• Sources:
• Jacques David’s report to the Swiss watch industry
(from early 1877).
• Crossman and Abbott’s books (mid-late 1880s)
• Elgin’s grade number books (at the NAWCC Library).
• Observation of watches and eBay listings.

Elgin Nameless Watch!
Grade #32 (English)!
#364,694, c. 1875-81!
12 size, key wind/key set!
13 jewels (3 pair)

#364,694, c. 1875-81!
13 jewels (3 pair)
No more than 400
made of grade 32.

Sterling!
Silver
London!
Assay!
Ofﬁce
1881
James!
Wintle?
#364,694, c. 1875-81!
13 jewels (3 pair)

• About 25 different grades were planned, in sizes
18, 17½, 14, 12 and 10.
• Elgin opened the London ofﬁce in 1875 and closed
it in 1876.
• Not clear:
• How many were actually made of each
• Whether all the recorded grades were made at all
Elgin’s London Ofﬁce Watches

The “Odd Name” Watches
• There was a brief stage around 1876/77 where
Elgin sold watches with unusual, non-person
names.
• The Age, The Chief, Advance, Leader
• I’ve found almost zero information about these.

Dec. 1877
$310
$450
$600
$666
$1,075
2013 Dollars
$575
$715
$785
$1,200
+$35
+$70
−$35
−$50

E.V. Roddin Price List (1877)
• Note the list sells both:
• Almanac watches (e.g., H.Z. Culver)
• “Odd Name” watch: The Chief
• The “stages” I propose overlap in time.

Elgin The Age!
#576,713, c. 1877!
Stem wind, lever set
Note the ﬂat dial (seconds
subdial is not sunk). This is
common in the lower grade late
1870s post-Almanac watches.

Elgin The Age!
#576,713, c. 1877!
Note the engraved regulator
index. This is common of the
lower grade, late 1870s post-
Almanac watches.

Elgin The Chief!
#585,705, c. 1877!

Elgin The Chief!
#585,705, c. 1877!
Stem wind, lever set!
7 jewels, exp. balance

Elgin Leader!
#500,813, c. 1877!
17½ size!
No seconds hand
This is a stem wind/
lever set version of
the T.M. Avery.
!
Exists both with a
seconds hand and
without it.
!
There is also a
keywind Leader.

Elgin Leader!
#500,813, c. 1877!
17½ size!
No seconds hand

Nameless Watches
• Around 1877, Elgin announced
nameless movements for the
American market.
• Nameless watches were
probably ﬁrst made around the
same time as the “odd names.”
• The odd names were soon
killed, but nameless watches
lived on.
Scan from NAWCC Encyclopedia website

• S.F. Myers was a
wholesale jewelry
dealer (a “jobber”).
• Most of the watches
offered are nameless
grades identiﬁed by
numbers.

Elgin Grade 60!
Very early nameless?!
#458,687, c. 1876/77!
Key wind, key set!
Flat dial

Very plain decoration.
Regulator index
engraved on top plate
Elgin Grade 60!
Very early nameless?!
#458,687, c. 1876/77!
Key wind, key set!
Solid balance

Elgin Grade 13!
#238,278, c. 1878
• This watch has an oddly
low serial number.
• It is in fact contemporary
to grade 13 watches in
the 550,000 - 1,000,000
serial numbers.

“Wavy”!
barrel!
bridge
Company!
name only
Elgin Grade 13!
#238,278, c. 1878

Bibliography
Abbott, Henry G. 1888. The Watch Factories of America,
Past and Present. A complete history of watchmaking in
America, from 1809 to 1888 inclusive, with sketches of the
lives of celebrated American watchmakers and organizers.
Chicago: Geo. K. Hazlitt & Co.
Alft, E.C. & William Briska. 2003. Elgin Time: A History of
the Elgin National Watch Company, 1864-1968. Elgin, IL:
Elgin Historical Society.
Casillas, Luis. 2014. “Early Elgin stemwind watches.”
Slides of presentation given to Chapter 94 of the National
Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. http://
www.slideshare.net/LuisCasillas4/early-elgin-stem-wind-
watches-18651878
Crossman, Charles S. 1885-1887. The Complete History of
Watch Making in America. Reprinted from the Jeweler’s
Circular and Horological Review. Exeter, NH: Adams Brown
Company.
David, Jacques. 1877. “Report to the Intercantonal
Committee of Jura Industries on the manufacture of watches
in the United States.” Translated and reprinted in Richard
Watkins, 2003, American and Swiss Watchmaking in 1876.
Ehrhardt, Roy. 1976. Elgin Watch Company: Identification
and Price Guide. Kansas City, MO: Heart of America Press.
Elgin National Watch Co. 1915. Net Price List of Materials
Manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Co. Chicago:
The Lakeside Press.
Gilbert, Richard E., Tom Engle and Cooksey Shugart. 2012.
Complete Price Guide to Watches. Mt. Pleasant, SC:
Tinderbox Press.
Goldsmith, Ellsworth H. 1953. “Keyless Watches.” NAWCC
Bulletin, No. 50.
Hoke, Donald Robert. 1991. The Time Museum Historical
Catalogue of American Pocket Watches. Rockford, IL: The
Time Museum.
Muir, William and Bernard Kraus. 1985. Marion: A History of
the United States Watch Company. NAWCC Special
Publication Number 1. Columbia, PA: Mifflin Press.
Otto Young & Co. 1892. Tool and Material Catalogue.
Reprinted in July 1998 by the Mid-West Tool Collectors
Association, Special Publications Committee.
Price, Ron. 2005. Origins of the Waltham Model 57:
Evolution of the First Successful Industrialized Watch.
NAWCC Special Order Supplement no. 7. Columbia, PA:
National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors.
Schlitt, Wayne. 2004. Elgin Watch Collectors Site.
Accessed on April 2014; site lists modification date of
7/24/2004. http://elginwatches.org

Appendix: number madness
• There’s a few websites that
allow you to enter an Elgin’s
watch’s serial number, and
give you a variety of data
about it.
• These are useful, but the
information isn’t always
accurate.
pocketwatchdatabase.com

• Example: #155,399
• Elgin did not classify this watch as a
“Grade 20” when it was made. (See
below.)
• I have #155,399, and it’s a stem wind/
key set. So we know it was made late
1873 or early 1874.
• This serial number was recorded as
part of a block of 4,900. But does that
constitute a “run”?
• Later watches from this “run” are
lever setting, but this one isn’t!
• Watches from this “run” have two
different lever linkages!
pocketwatchdatabase.com

• People put too much
faith on serial number
date tables.
• Like this one from the
2012 Price Guide.

• 185,001 was made Sep. 1871…
• …but 155,399 and 235,103 (stem wind,
key set) were made late 1873 or early
1874 .
• 400,001 was made Aug. 1874…
• …about the same time as the earliest
slide lever set (e.g, 155,743, 235,355)
• …and before later pull-out lever set
watches (e.g., 158,372, 237,604).
• This table is accurate, at best, to ±5 years

• Elgin often preallocated “round” serial number blocks for
particular watches:
• 40,001: Lady Elgin (May 1869)
• 50,001: Frances Rubie (Aug. 1870)
• 185,001: Gail Borden (Sep. 1871)
• 200,001: Dexter St. (Dec. 1871)
• 155,001, 235,001: Stem wind (June 1873)
• Number blocks still in use for two setting lever
variants introduced between 1874 and 1878.
• 400,001: T.M. Avery (Aug. 1874)
• 500,001: First stem-wind “Leader” (c. 1877)
• 600,001: First 16 size watch (late 1878)

Appendix: grade names vs. numbers
Is this watch a “Grade 55”?

Elgin’s 1915 serial number list doesn’t say so.

• 1915 serial number list:
• The earliest Elgin serial numbers are given grade names, not
grade numbers.
• 1950 serial number list:
• All watches are given grade numbers, but never grade names.
• Some watches with different names are collapsed under the
same grade number:
• Grade 55: Laﬂin, Ryerson, Ferry
• Grade 12: Ogden, Farwell, Fargo

If you go by grade names, you get accurate jewel counts.
If you go by the 1950 list grade numbers, you don’t.
1915 grade table

• But on the other hand:
• The 1950 serial number list accurately
pinpoints which early serial number blocks
were stem winders.
• The 1915 list doesn’t.

Grade Name Winding 1915 list 1950 list
B.W. Raymond Key Raymond Grade 69
B.W. Raymond Stem Raymond Grade 70
H.Z. Culver Key Culver Grade 62
H.Z. Culver Stem Culver Grade 61
H.H. Taylor Key Taylor Grade 58
H.H. Taylor Stem Taylor Grade 20
Similar for all the other stemwinds ≤ #300,000.

• My take on this:
• Both the 1915 and the 1950 lists were made
from records more accurate than either.
• (Wayne Schlitt’s websote says there’s an 1896
material catalog with a list more accurate than
either, but I haven’t found a copy yet…)
• The authors of the published lists cared about
fulﬁlling parts orders, not historical accuracy.

• Hypothesis: the Almanac named grades were originally
distinct from the numbered grades that the 1950 list
equates them to.
• Elgin serial #101 was a key wind/set B.W. Raymond, not
a “grade 69.”
• “Grade 69” was originally the designation of nameless
or private label variants of the KWKS Raymond.
• Likewise, Ogden/Farwell/Fargo are not grade 12, Laﬂin/
Ryerson/Ferry are not grade 55, Wheeler is not grade
57, Frances Rubie is not grade 23, etc.
Grade Name vs. Number Hypothesis

• The Almanac grades fall outside the numbering
system because they predate it.
• However, post-Almanac named watches mostly
do correspond to grade numbers.
• E.g., a late 1880s nickel B.W. Raymond is
really a grade 27, but signed “B.W. Raymond.”
• The 1915 and 1950 serial number lists agree.

• Note that my hypothesis is at odds with the two
best (in my opinion) works on Elgin watches:
• Roy Ehrhardt’s Elgin Watch Company:
Identiﬁcation and Price Guide (1976)
• Wayne Schlitt’s Elgin Watch Collectors Site.

Appendix: Dating watches
• 18 size Elgins from 1867-1879 can be roughly dated by looking at
a few features:
• Barrel bridge style (sharp vs. wavy)
• Stem winding (1873+)
• Slide (1874+) lever set vs. pull-out (1877?)
• Dial signature (“National” vs. “Elgin”)
• Regulator index style: separate part vs. engraved
• Separate part: silver vs. gilt ﬁnish
• Top plate & barrel bridge lettering style

Appendix: serial # vs. dial
• Using my database of observed Elgin watches, I
can estimate which serial numbers are before
and after Elgin’s 1874 company name change.

• Methodology:
• Lots of eyeballing. Caveat emptor.
• I’ve observed photos and descriptions of thousands of Elgin
watches for over a year and a half.
• I have carefully recorded ±675 watches under #600,000.
• I’ve seen so many of these watches that believe I can tell
which dials look “odd” or “replacement” on an 1870s watch,
and I write a note when I think I see one.
• After a few years I will have a lot more data. I expect this either
will make my estimates better or drive me insane(r).

• My tables apply to non-private label, KWKS watches.
• Private label watches occur in odd serial number blocks, and God
knows when they were made.
• Nearly all stemwinds were made 1874 or later, and thus have
“Elgin” dials.
• The one “National” dial stemwind I’ve seen is SWKS.
• Some stemwind serial number blocks are surrounded by
keywind blocks with “National” dials! (E.g., 155,101 to 160,000).
• The tables also exclude the uncommon J.V. Farwell grade, which as
we saw was discontinued c. 1871.

• There is no global cut-off serial number for the dials:
• The switch happens at different serial numbers for
different watch grades.
• Some switch points appear to be “fuzzy” within a
recorded serial # block. Some “National” dial watches
have higher serial numbers than some credible “Elgin”
dials, within small serial # differences (hundreds or even
tens).
• There may be oddball low serial # blocks with “Elgin”
dials that were made later than one would guess.

• No fancy stats in my table:
• Find the highest credible serial # for a “National” dial
• Find the earliest credible serial # after which “Elgin”
dominates.
• Note: I do not claim all “Elgin” dials below my cutoff
ranges are replacements!
• Estimated switch point: average of those two numbers.
• Uncertainty: half their absolute difference.

Dial signature vs. serial number
Grade name Estimated boundary Uncertainty
# watches
recorded
B.W. Raymond
KWKS, ≤ #330,000
260,130
(184,920 - 260,340)
± 210* 56
H.Z. Culver
KWKS
172,500 ±1,900 23
H.H. Taylor
KWKS, ≤ #330,000
212,500 ±1,900 29
G.M. Wheeler
KWKS, ≤ #330,000
242,750 ±3,250 84
Based on my database, as of May 2014. Please read the explanation earlier before using!
!
* I did some funny math for B.W. Raymond. After 180,001 - 185,001, the next recorded
B.W. Raymond blocks are 205,401 - 205,500 (which appears to actually be private labels)
and 260,001 - 264,000. So, the lower end of my “±210” actually reaches down to 184,920.

# watches
recorded
Mat. Laﬂin
KWKS
95,300 ± 250 18
J.T. Ryerson 298,500 ± 1,300 48
W.H. Ferry 241,500 ± 100 16
M.D. Ogden
KWKS
267,900 ± 900 35

# watches
recorded
Chas. Fargo 280,750 ± 100 18
Lady Elgin
≤ #350,000
162,800 ± 600 43
Gail Borden
≤ #350,000
207,070 ± 350 21
Dexter St.
≤ #350,000
232,170 ± 230 17

• There is a handful of low serial
number blocks that are “out of
place” relative to the timeline.
• Example: 238,xxx was made
1877 or later, judged by
decoration:
• “Gothic” script on barrel
bridge.
• Gilt regulator index.
• Steel ring around winding
post.

The lesson
• You can’t easily use the popular serial number
date tables to say which watches ought to have
which dial.
• Be skeptical of claims that one dial or the other
is “(in)correct” for a given serial number.

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