Post by literustyfan on Jan 30, 2013 12:33:11 GMT -6
Hey guys !
There are your regular Elgin Trench Watches (which are very nice in their own right) and then there are ones that we dream about !
This one being the latter.......................
This is by far the most solid gold that I've ever seen on an Elgin Trench Watch ! ! !
Plus, it has one of the most sought after and rarest American movements ever manufactured.
This is a 1915 Elgin Trench Trench Watch that has a 14k SOLID GOLD case made by the Illinois Watch Case Company.
14k solid gold Illinois Trench Watch Cases are VERY rare, you simply do not not many of them.
On the movement: the center wheel, raised jewel chatons and balance wheel screws are all made of SOLID GOLD.
Oh yeah, the buckle on the strap is also made of 14k SOLID GOLD.
From 1914 through 1933 Elgin manufactured about 2,000,000 (2 million) size 3/0s movements.
Out of these 2,000,000 movements only 500 of them were made with 17 jewels, all the rest had 7 jewels or 15 jewels.
So, if you break down the numbers only 1/4 of 1% were made with 17 jewels, now that's what I call EXTREMELY RARE ! ! ! ! !
Out of these five hundred 17 jewel movements I have had the pleasure and honor of owning 5 of them.
The one that you see pictured below is number 232 of the 500, serial number 18628232, it's 98 years old.
What really sets this movement apart from the other 7 jewel and 15 jewel versions is the material.
Those were nickel plated brass, these 17 jewel movements consist of SOLID NICKEL only, no brass anywhere.
The vertical demaskeen pattern on these grade 423 movements is unmistakable, none of the other size 3/0s movements looked this.
The online serial number data base says that Elgin produced 1,000 of these 17 jewel movements, the data base is WRONG.
According to the Elgin master records only 500 were ever produced.
Out of the 5 of the 500 that I've owned none of them have had a serial number over 500.
These size 3/0s = grade 423 movements were simply the best that money could possible buy ! ! !
In 1915 Elgin had planned on making a 19 jewel size 3/0s movement (grade 421) but none of them were actually ever produced.
The 19 jewel serial numbers were assigned but none of them ever came off of the assembly line.
The enamel dial on this Elgin Trench Watch is one of my all time favorites.
The BOLD Roman numeral RED XII ! ! ! ! !
Just above the sub-dial there is a "MADE IN USA" stamp, not all RED XII dials have this extra feature but this one does.
This dial is flawless without any hairlines, chips or cracks ! ! !
The blue steel hands are 100% correct for this dial.
New mainspring, new glass crystal, new stem, new inner sleeve on the crown tube and a new genuine Buffalo strap.
I just added the 14k solid gold buckle today, it's not as old as the rest of the watch.
The winding action on this movement is simply "smooth as silk", barely any friction at all, probably the BEST that I have ever felt.
This watch IS American perfection ! ! ! ! ! !
And now for the WRIST SHOT ! ! ! ! !
