Yesterday, I posted a series of messages about an Elgin Grade 156 I recently acquired. Athough my focus is on high grade Swiss pocket watches, I have a weakness for their US equivalents. So I recently acquired a very nice 23j Elgin Grade 190 12-size hunter movement, one of about 4,000 made.

I had Chris Abell overhaul and then -- I am confessing my sins -- put it into a very nice solid gold Roy case that formerly held a 15j Elgin 314. I had Chris move the 314 to a very nice ygf multi-colored case that formerly held a 7j Elgin 301. I contributed the Elgin 301 to Chris' spare parts collection.

Here is the Elgin 190, now -- a guilty pleasure.

The Elk on the other side.

The dial.

The movement -- a big upgrade from the old 314.

Just in case you ask, here is the Elgin 314.

And here is its new home.

I remember that discussion on opinions on the switch options, both very nice looking watches in their new homes.

Thanks, Claude, and nice of you to remember. They did turn out nicely. I know purists likely are dismayed, but I rescued a Grade 190 and put it in a nice home. I doubt that anyone should shed a tear for the now-homeless 7 jewel movement, nor for the rehoused 15 jewel movement, which is still in a pretty multi-colored gold case, even if now only gold-filled.

In 50 yrs from now no one will know, and if this happened before and a working movement was put in place of a non-working movement how would we know? Nice watches in my book no matter what the history is, I am not that much of a purist!

Ethan,
Beautiful cases. Thanks so much for sharing them with us.
Tony

Stunning multicolor cases Ethan. Thanks for sharing.