The Elgin #280 is a beauty-3 fingers and all;but I can't find out how many out of 8,000 made were marked BWR,280 or nothing.
Is it possible to get this info on Wayne's site? I always seem to have trouble with the abreviations on "search" except when using serial numbers...I feel like I may be missing valuable info a click or two away.

Marty,

These are interesting and uncommon, our "Find-Or-Search" feature is a good starting point.

CLICK TO SEE: Find-Or-Search for "Elgin 280" on IHC185 Discussion Site

You could begin your research there, be sure to follow convenient links that are provided in some of the posts which will take you further into the subject including other 3-Finger Bridge Elgins. It might also be worthwhile to use some of the movement numbers you see in those posts in order to check the Elgin Data-Base more closely and see additional information on these very interesting and worthwhile watches.

Hope this gets you started.

Lindell


All those 3-Finger Bridge Elgins are great watches...

Yes,Lin,it really helped-Shiela did all the work for me!
Sheila,thanks-I have so much trouble with that part of the Elgin site I'm embarrassed to even admit it! I've printed out the abbreviations and codes as a "cheat sheet" but it's still hit and miss.
Just seeing how you typed it in helps. It was the "< = >" stuff that got to me!!

How many different grades of Elgins are there with 3-finger bridges?
Tony

Tony- Your answer is the same as mine-start with the link above! You'll see the best way to get a list of any group of Elgins you want-bridge; hunter case, convertibles,pendant set,motor barrel, and etc.

Please post about your success or failure. I need all the tips I can get about how to use the advanced "Search" on Wayne's site. There's so much info available behind those doors.

The 280 was deceptively simple looking . . .

For a railroad grade that should qualify as RR grade from its 1903-04 production to now. This example I dug out is from the last run and is marked 280. I will have to research this more to see if any of my others in the 280 s/n range were not marked 280.

Here's a 3 finger bridge Elgin fancy dial hunter from a trustworthy IHC185 seller:

https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6346095371/m/6721031813

Someone is going to get a good buy on that one!

Don

Lindell,
What are the serial numbers of your two 3-finger bridge Elgins that you have pictured here?
Tony

Tony, the BWR is#12283323 and the Veritas is #13279671.

Marty,
Thanks for the serial numbers. Also, thanks to you and Sheila I discovered that if you type in the letter B in the serial number block on Wayne's site it will show you all of the grades that were bridge models.
Tony

Tony-Yes,and I have discovered how important it is to use the "formula" (for example) N=BWR... n is for name of course; but the search seems to have more of this type of thing that is a mystery to me- any tips??

Marty,
Ouch! This Elgin 280 on eB just sold for $535 dollars, not Japanese Yen, the buyer's country.

Vintage Elgin Lever Set Railroad Pocket Watch

This price seems a little excessive, even for a 17j Raymond 3 finger bridge, but it is an auction and things get heated.
At these prices for a 280, guess I'll have to be content with my Grade 337 Elgin 17jewel GM Wheeler 3-finger bridge. It's almost as good a watch...
John

Forgot to mention that the $535 Elgin 280 above is not running, and has several hairlines.

John-It was one in a thousand! Those rare ones are hard to find-running or not...i was watching it,too. I would have bid maybe $400 or so...

Marty, thanks for explaining rarity of this 280 BWR, and thanks for being patient while I try to figure out the nuances of Wayne's database. After reading your experience above, and using Sheila's directions, I got my <g=280> search to successfully show 8,000 produced in Grade 280, but only 1,000 marked BWR.

Next, I searched the database for my Elgin Grade 337, which is also a 17j 3-finger movement, but marked GM Wheeler instead of BWRaymond. The <g=337> search says there were 6,000 GMW named out of 15000 total produced. So obviously a 337 GMW is not scarce, as is the 280 BWR, and, beyond number of watches produced, is not lever set, so the quality is not as high, I assume. There's a lot that goes into the quality, and value, and scarcity of a watch, dial and case, and I get fooled every few minutes. But it's fascinating and you friends here at 185 make it fun to keep trying...John

John-I learned that around here if you assume something,you will probably end up wrong. Some pendant set pockets are rare and valuable-there is a Veritas 18s/21j/ps for sure-so don't take anything for granted.

These pocket watches laugh at me all the time.