Elgin Grade 55

Here's an older Elgin, grade 55, 18 size, 7 jewels, made about 1868, key wind and set. 

This is a Matt Laflin model.

This first photo is a "before", before I did any work. When I received this watch I was told had been in another shop with less than satisfactory results.

I found that the watch had not disassembled fully.  There was dirt visible on the plates inside, on the wheels and pivots, and under the ratchet wheel.  The upper plate had been polished rather aggressively, buffed probably.  It looks like the screws were removed before doing this but not much else.  There was still black, greasy polishing compound in the pivot wells in the plate, and in crevices such as around the banking screws, as visible in this first photo.

In short, it was a mess.  The mainspring looks new though, as do the dial foot pins.

Older Elgin 18 size movements have just one case screw holding the movement in the case.  Opposite the location of the screw there is, or is supposed to be, a pin in the edge of the movement.  It fits into a hole in the inside edge of the case.

The owner of this watch reported that it was loose in the case.  As I have found so many times, for whatever reason, the brass pin was missing.  A new one, turn to the right diameter, is friction fit into the movement. 

Elgin Grade 55

Here are a few detail images of an Elgin grade 55. It's an early 18 size, 7 jewel, Mat Laflin model, made about 1868. 

This movement has an extra narrow tangential lever. It is highly polish and even beveled along the long sides. They didn't do that very much, this is a special one.

Many grade 55s are found with solid balance wheels. But the balance on this watch is a typical split style, with screws.

Another Missing Pin

This is one of those older 18 size Elgins, a Mat Laflin grade 55, where the movement is held in the case by just one case screw.  In the opposite edge of the movement, from the screw, is a pin that sticks into a hole in the inside edge of the case.

For whatever reason, these pins are frequently missing and I end up making one.  Sometimes, the watch has been rigged to stay put without the pin, as this one has.

A small bit of copper has been set under one of the barrel bridge screws as a makeshift case washer.

Copper is a surprising material to find any place near vintage watches.  It is a very soft and highly reactive metal, without much use in old horology.

Elgin Grade 55

Here's a follow up on this watch.

It's doing much better now as you can see.

A Messy Elgin Grade 55

I received this watch recently, which I'm told has been in another shop with less than satisfactory results.  These photos are before I've done anything.

The watch was not disassembled fully.  There is dirt visible on the plates inside, on the wheels and pivots, and under the ratchet wheel.  The upper plate has been polished rather aggressively - buffed probably.  It looks like the screws were removed before doing this but not much else.  There is still black, greasy polishing compound in the pivot wells in the plate, and in crevices such as around the banking screws.

This is another one of the old 18 size movements that has just one case screw and a pin opposite that goes into a hole in the case.  The movement was loose in the case because, as is so often the case, that pin is missing and needs to be replaced.

In short, it's a mess.  The mainspring looks new though, as do the dial foot pins.

The watch is a Elgin grade 55.  And it's an old one, made about 1868.

Elgin Grade 55

This is a very early Elgin with a sub-ten thousand serial number.  It was made about 1868.

This is a grade 55, Mat Laflin model, 18 size, with 7 jewels.  It is key-wind and key-set, and features the original name of the company, just "National Watch Co" on the dial, and no "Elgin".

Of course the odd thing here is the case.  It seems to be a salesman's case, or sample case.  These had glass fronts and backs, to show off the movement.

It is perhaps worth mentioning here that watches were sold to end customers "bare" as it were.  Elgin, like most early American watch companies, did not make watch cases.  The customer would select the movement and the case separately at the time of sale.  This practice was the norm until well into the 1920s.

A typical salesman's case, looks like a normal watch case, with a crown and bow, and glass bask.  But this odd case has no crown, and no way to attach a watch chain.  I think this may be an early shipping container.  It is more durable than shipping containers commonly found.  It could be something that was used very early in Elgin's history.

JS076

Elgin Grade 55

The grade 55 is an old key-wind and set design, and this example is an early one made about 1871.

The is a 7 jewel movement sometimes seen in a named variation, marked Ryerson, Laflin, or Ferry.

This particular one is not named, but it is the same design.

Here's a detail of the square hub used to set the watch with its key.