Elgin pocket watches were an icon of American pocket watch production in the 20th century and reflect the massive progress of the age with durable yet elegant designs. Founded in Chicago in 1864, the then National Watch Company was developed out of a consortium of local business leaders. Their goal was to create watches that were durable, affordable, and aesthetically satisfying.

After recruiting employees from a Massachusetts competitor, the Waltham Watch Company, the gentlemen established a 35-acre space in rural Elgin, Illinois, as the location for their headquarters. Construction was complete in 1866, their first movement was created the year after, and awards for their designs were already rolling in as early as 1869.

Antique Elgin Railroad Pocket Watches

By the time the company changed its name to the Elgin National Watch Company in 1874, the premise of their production had been firmly established, and their goal had been realized. Elgin National Watches, which were produced until the late 1960s, held a reputation for their reliability and their refinement, a combination that still makes them desirable today.

Quick Facts

• Elgin’s manufacturing headquarters in Elgin, Illinois, represented the largest watchmaking operation in the world for the 98 years it was in operation (1866-1964)
• In honor of Chicago’s mayor, the first pocket watch they created in 1867 was named the “B.W. Raymond”
• May 1869 marked the release of Elgin’s first watch for women. Fittingly called the “Lady Elgin,” it rapidly became a fashion statement

Unfortunately, determining your watch's value is a hard question to answer. These web pages covers many of the general ways to try and find an answer to this question. Table of Contents There Is No Single Dollar Value The Most Accurate Method The Quickest Method The Price Guide Method The Online Elgin Database Method The eBay Completed Auctions. Antique Elgin 14 Karat Yellow Gold Pocket Watch. This beautiful antique Elgin pocket watch circa 1895 is a true collectible. The hunting case has an inner dust cover and is set with.

Elgin Pocket Watch Value By Serial Number

Elgin Natl Pocket Watch Value

Learn more about Elgin Pocket Watches on the Invaluable blog.

Elgin Pocket Watch Value Guide

The Elgin watch company, out of Elgin, Illinois, was in business from 1864-1964, and while active, was the largest-producing American watch company, manufacturing an estimated half of all pocket watches ('dollar' watches not included). To be a railroad grade watch, the following criteria must be met: be 16S or 18S; have 17 or more jewels; be. Raymond, as it was called, was a relatively large-numeral, 18-size pocket watch that cost $117, a high price for the era. Like all National watches, the movement was sold without a case—customers would have a jeweler or watch repairman complete that task. 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. Currier, Otis Hoyt, and Charles H. Mason, with financial backing from former Chicago Mayor Benjamin W.