New Arrival, Job Number 190166

This is another instance where an old-style plastic crystal has decade, yellowed and given off corrosive gases that have dissolved the hands. Often in such cases there will be other damage to steel parts under the dial. We'll see.

This is also a great example of a completely practical watch selection by the original buyer. It is in a low cost, plain nickel case, but it is a high-end Elgin Veritas movement, railroad grade. Also the case is a swing-out style which was required by some railroad specs. Even the plastic crystal is a practical choice. These were considered a technical improvement over glass and referred to at the time as "unbreakable" crystals.

My Grandfather once told me that the Veritas movement, one of Elgin's most expensive, cost about $85 at a time when he was making, as a skilled watchmaker, $24 a week.