Hello Vanessa,
Thank you for sending in this lovely pocket/pendant watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Ladies, 0s, Art Nouveau, solid 14k tricolored gold, keyless, pendant wound, savonette hunting case pocket watch with fancy dial, Garde 110, Serial Number 6298761, made by the Elgin Watch Company, Elgin, Illinois, USA circa 1896.
DESCRIPTION:
Case – Size ‘0’, 14k multi-colored gold, four leaf, engraved hunting case pocket/pendant watch. The covers engraved in the style of the Art Nouveau era (c.1880-1910). One cover has a bird at the center while there is floral and foliate engraving throughout the rest of the cover. The obverse cover is not seen but would be similar, perhaps with a cameo for the owner’s initials. The case has a scalloped edge. A 14k gold mark with a crown is noted on the inside of the cuvette or movement cover. There is a fluted gold ball pendant and round gold bow placed at the three position (savonette) opposite the case hinge. . .
Dial – Lavender colored dial background enameled with Arabic hours in round gilt cartouche form with dotted gold minute track to the outside, subsidiary seconds dial @6, gilt and fenestrated Louis XVth style hands and the upper dial marked, ‘Elgin’. . .
Movement – This is a three-quarter split nickel plate movement with damascened plates, the Grade 110, model 1, class 60, 0s, 11 jewel movement made by Elgin of Elgin, Illinois. Serial number, 629876, indicates the year of production as 1896, made in a total production of 40000 similar movements. The movement is pendant wound and pendant set, with a going barrel, quick train, bimetallic balance wheel with index regulator and no adjustments for positional changes. . .
Condition – Case is excellent. Dial is close to mint. Movement is mint and in running condition.
HISTORICAL:
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. . .
The condition of the watch is extraordinary. Hopefully, there are 14k gold markings on all of the covers. Compared to other jewel size American-made watches this is near the top and I believe that it would sell at auction for between $550 and $700 in todays market. Retail prices, of course would be higher.
Hopefully this appraisal has helped you to fully understand your beautiful timepiece.
My best,
David