Antique 1917 Elgin B.W. Raymond Mechanical Railroad Pocket Watch 372 Steel USA

Product Description

• Item: Pocket Watch

• Brand: Elgin

• Model: B.W. Raymond

• Movement: Mechanical

• Case Material: Steel

• Production Year: 1917

• Country: USA

• Jewels: 19J

• Gender: Unisex

• Grade: 372

Product Measurements

• Diameter: 50.5mm

Product Condition

• Overall Condition: Good, overall condition for its age.

• Functions: Running, but may be in need of service. This means, it can run unreliably, start or stop and timekeeping is not guaranteed. Fast 17 Seconds a Day, Amplitude 227, Beat Error 6.5

• Case: There are scratches on the case.

• Crystal: There are scratches on the crystal.

• Dial: The dial has hairline crack(s) on it.

• Hands: The hands have rust on them.

• Additional Information: The movement was named for Benjamin Wright Raymond, the first president of the National Watch Company, which was later renamed Elgin National Watch Company. Elgin reserved the B.W. Raymond designation for its highest-end movements, with various versions being produced to railroad-grade standards. The first B.W. Raymond movement was introduced in 1867, and the name continued to be used for high-grade models until the company's U.S. manufacturing ceased in the 1960s.

• About the brand: First founded in 1864 as the National Watch Company, Elgin watches were produced out of Elgin, Illinois at the world's largest dedicated watch production facility of the time. By 1910 - Elgin had built an observatory to help with the accuracy of their timepieces. Like most watch manufacturers, Elgin moved to defense production during the second World War and produced military issue watches such as the well known Elgin A-11. After the war, production of Elgin watches slowed and they transferred production to South Carolina. As the influx of Swiss watches came into the market, the Elgin brand sold its entities in 1968, and the name rights of the company were subsequently re-sold in the following years. Although the Elgin National Watch Company no longer exists, their impact on American watch making is seen through their large catalog of excellent vintage watches.