Can someone tell me what was the reason for this arrangement. It appears to be 18 size but upside down. Is it something else perhaps like a clock for a car? elgin

I've never seen one in an 18s, but several in 16s over the years.

I've been told in the past they were ususually worn on a lanyard and hung from the neck of individuals who needed access to the time, but were in situations where a pocket was not available, like a turn of the century bicyclist or like activity.

Hanging from a lanyard, and the dial being 'upside down', all they had to do was glance down to see the time without turning the watch over.

This was, of course, before the day of the wrist watch.

Regards! Mark

With a mid 1920's birth date this mod. 7 16s plain nickel plate dollar watch grade Elgin may well have been an early predecessor to the "Harley Watches" sold today with the pendant reversed for a "Quick Time Check" while riding.
The advantage with the Elgin is the battery won't go dead so long as you rememeber to wind it.
Incredible $28.95 shipping charge for it though. Kinda shorten's one's breath for bidding on it.

More rumor quality input. I had heard that they were bus drivers' watches, worn hanging from a belt holder.

Mike

Is this not a Model 7 with a special dial? Looks as if the dial could be replaced with the usual type and this would become just another 7j Elgin.
Another thought, put this dial on a BW Raymond or Father Time of the period and really create a discussion piece!!

Joe

quote:

I had heard that they were bus drivers' watches, worn hanging from a belt holder.

Mike, considering this is an 18s Elgin, and they stopped making them in 1920, would it still be a watch used by a bus driver?


The last 16s version I saw was on a neck lanyard, as was used by a football coach in the 30's (according to the dedication on the back of a VERY worn gold filled case on the watch.)

Regards! Mark

So its a 1920-30's vintage Motorcycle-riding Football coach who works part time as a bus driver's watch.
Somebody bought it.

Mark,

According to Wayne's site this IS a 16s made in 1924.

Regards,

Joe

Very good. I was operating under the original information as posted by Stephen in his question.

Well, then it still lines up with what I've seen, handled, and read about these Elgins to date...that being I've only seen these as 16s watches, and they were marketed/used as mentioned above.

In reading the past ebay sales lists on Waynes site, the 480 grade 7j seemed to be a popular 'car clock' movement, so apparently they were made for not only the sporting lanyard/belt wear trade, but moved in the car 'dash mount' circle as well.

Personally I think David nailed it...with the addition to the above, they put it in the car dash for driving to Sunday services.

I think the simple answer is it was a car clock movement that, with the advent of electric car clocks, some savy Elgin marketing agent saw an opportunity to sell these to the working or 'sporting' man. It became a watch that could be used in another way by just putting the car movement into a standard case. Once they were sold out of Elgin inventory, that was the end of that.

Regards! Mark

Wayne's site also says:

MC says "16s-Auto"

Automobile yep.

Somebody just changed it to a hand held pocket watch I bet. Just needed some changes in the placement of the dial and pentent?

my guess.

Thanks all, I thought of a car clock when I saw it but considered it might be a bit small to mount in a dash board. I actually have an Elgin car clock for my vintage car (retirement project) and the face looks exactly like this one but it is 70mm dia. Also thought of a nurses watch as they wear them on a lanyard or pin them to their uniform but it looked a bit big for that. Perhaps there were a number of uses depending on how good the salesman was.

I agree with Michael, this might be a bus driver's watch. I've seen pictures of a couple in the belt holder, but if memory serves, they were better than 7j.

Norman

I have one of these dials. I tried it on a few 16s open face, as well as a few hunter case movements and it fit them all. With the hunter case, the watch winds a 9:00. I believe these were a one day car watch, which could also be hung in a watch belt case for easy reading. I think a 16s watch would be way to heavy to hang from the neck.
Brian C.