Recently I got lucky and picked up an Elgin grade 150 which are normally pendent set 21 jewel full plate movements but mine is a lever set, not a converstion kit or the later re-labeled grade 181's.

Hello Claude and welcome to IHC185 where you will find the friendliest and most knowledgeable watch experts on the internet....We're happy to have you and we really do enjoy photo's of one watches....

Your Grade 150 Elgin is a very nice looking watch and since I can't see the s/n can't really tell where it fell into the production schedule by Elgin....

There were 7,816 produced over the years of 1895 to 1899 and they were marked either by no markings, FT or 150....

Thanks for showing your watch to us and we hope you continue displaying here with us at IHC185....

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Regards,

Jerry

The serial number is 6,4xx,xxx I can give the exact number since it is off getting a clean/oil service. It is from the 3rd run, I know that some grade 150's are actually leverset 181's and you can tell this by where the "Elgin National Watch" is engraved, main plate vs barrel plate. I know some of the early ones were 20 jewel versions, mine is marked 21 and I asked the person doing the service to take some picture while it is apart. I picked up my buying during the early part of the year when the prices were depressed some and managed to pick up a nice 149, the 150, and 181. I follow the link and pay the dues since they are more than reasonable.

Hello Claude....

Here is the link to the Elgin Grade 150 Watches....

Looks as though your s/n 6,4xx,xxx would have been made in the fourth run made during 1895 and was in fact a 21 jewel movement....

The 20j movements were all made in the first run also in 1895....

I don't see any reference made to grade 181 only None, FT or 150....

Regards,
Jerry

Jerry if you have a chance you will see a few variations for the grade 150 1-20J PS, 2-21J PS, 3)21J LS, all that have the "Elgin Watch Co" on the main plate like mine does. There were some grade 150 that were LS conversions to a grade 277 and the later runs of the grade 150's were basically look identical to grade 181's because the "Elgin Watch Co" is on the barrel bridge.
Here is a link for the Elgin site in about the grade 277 since you won't find it listed in the yellow Elgin guide book, there it goes from grade 276 to grade 278 and skips 277, http://elginwatches.org/scans/...grade_277_specs.html

If you again look at Wayne's Elgin site and search 277 and then search ebay logs for grade 277 you will find the following,
300970239 04/09/00
17:33:55 $280
RM 8490094 18s 277 180 made 21j last run, only produced for 2 years
silveroid swingout seen as nameless "mint DS dial"

If you search this serial number you get this result.
Search Results For "8490094"

Serial Number SN Range RunQty Name Year grade size code jewels Adj/reg/etc.
-------------- -------- ------ ---- ---- ----- ---- ------ ------ ------------
8490094 8490021 80 1899 277* 18s ofn7l 21j Adj
last run of grade 277; 178 of 184 in grade


grade total runs first yr last yr class size code jewels Adj/name
----- ----- ----- -------- ------- ----- ---- ------ ------ ----------
277 184 22 1895 1899 65 18s ofn7l 21j Adj

(*) notes on grade 277: first 18s model 7 # basically lever set G=150's