Hello Ken,
Thank you for sending in your father’s watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Gent’s, rare, Art Deco, rectangular, 14K white gold and blue champlevé enamel, manually wound, wristwatch with black snakeskin strap, Serial number ?, case number ?, ‘Presentation’ model variant, made by the Elgin Watch Company, Elgin, Illinois, circa 1929.
DESCRIPTION:
CASE – (Size not provided) Estimated to be 26 mm x 40 mm this is a three leaf, solid polished 14k white gold and blue enameled square watch case. It combines a square gold case with a round 14k white gold bezel and square enameled blue chapter ring as part of the bezel. The blue 'champlevé' enameled bezel with painted white gold radial Roman numerals, hinged lugs fluted winding crown, round white gold, snap-open back cover with essential markings on the inside of the cover (not shown). The broad white gold hinged lugs attach to a black leather strap, which looks like snakeskin. . .
DIAL: Matte silvered dial with painted closed outer minute track and the upper dial marked, Elgin. The gilt shaped hands are rarely seen and are, “Double Triangle Oppose” hands. . .
MOVEMENT: Not shown. Thought to be the Elgin 8.75’’’(lignes size), likely from the Elgin 400 series of movements made in the late 1920s-early 1930’s, with damascened decorated plates, made with either 15 or 21 jewels, a straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring with the dial, case, and movement triple signed. . .
CONDITION:
The case, dial and movement are all original and genuine to this model. The movement remains functional.
HISTORY:
Elgin History: The Elgin National Watch Company was founded in 1864 in Elgin, Illinois as the National Watch Company. In 1874 the name was changed to the Elgin National Watch Company. Between 1864 and sometime in the 1960s, Elgin manufactured tens of millions of pocket and wrist watches. The Elgin National Watch Company was for a time, one of the largest industrial concerns in the world. Elgin pocket watches from the early years are particularly interesting because of the methods and philosophy of the Elgin company. Elgin used what were at the time quite advanced tools, techniques and labor practices to achieve a very high-quality product, in high volumes, at a relatively affordable price. Elgin watches were created using mechanized, repeatable processes, organized quality control and standardized, interchangeable, parts. These things are all common practices in industry today, but not so at that time. The result was a product of high quality made in large quantities that dwarfed that of Elgin's competitors. Prior to Elgin's time, watches were made completely by hand, frequently by a single craftsman, from start to finish. Repairs could only be completed on such watches by someone with sufficient skill to fabricate replacement parts, from scratch, from raw material. Elgin watches on the other hand, were mass manufactured and highly standardized. Spare parts were provided by Elgin that were drop-in replacements for the originals. Elgin was extremely successful with this strategy. In fact, the company introduced more than half the watches made in America from 1920-1928. An Elgin advertisement in 1928 claimed that there were more than 14,418 retail jewelers in the United States and all but 12 carried Elgin.
COMPARABLES/PRICING:
~https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2516M/lots/401 (sold @ auction 2010 for $1126)
~https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/watches/wrist-watches/elgin-presentation-enamel-mens-hand-winding-vintage-watch-14-karat-white-gold/id-j_5576981/ (retail price of $2091)
~https://m.skinnerinc.com/m/auctions/2516M/lots/400 (sold in 2010 for $830 in yellow gold)
~https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/watches/wrist-watches/elgin-presentation-2040-white-dial-certified-authentic/id-j_6652711/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAk7TuBRDQARIsAMRrfUZdfAdZesjOVSMkOOmJ0oaip5nyVZZCT8MqQwG8syKXMzRX7a0qXDEaAs8aEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds (retail price of $2346)
In my opinion your watch, in its present fine condition and being completely original would sell at auction today in the range of $1250-$1500. Retail pricing would be somewhat higher. It is a beautiful watch that you inherited. Take very good care of it.
I hope you were able to learn about the watch and better able to understand it.
Best of luck, and thank you for using Mearto.com.
My best,
David