Hi,
Just bought this watch Elgin Gr. 382 3FB, do not have it yet, but on the plate it is marked SPECIAL, what makes this watch special ?
Any information would help,
Thanks,
Bill

I do not know why it is marked "special" Bill, Very basic Grade, only thing I can put it down to would be a private label watch, marked by Elgin for a private Jeweller's order, maybe?

Regards,
Bila

Bila,
I guess it could be, but just "Special" is odd, the dial is a regular unmarked Elgin dial as it should be.
Thanks for the input,
Bill

I am confused by Elgin grade numbers. That is a subject I would like to understand better.

However, on Elgin 3FB models, I look for a steel escape wheel, and this watch has a brass escape wheel. This tells me this watch is a lower quality grade.

Am I full of hot air?

Joe,
I think you are right, this is a pretty basic watch. I also know nothing about how the grades go.
To this ones defence is does say adjusted, which might mean 3 pos., I do not know.
I have not seen the "special" on an Elgin movement before, that is what has me wondering what it is.
It is a nice looking watch although all 3 finger movements are.
Bill

The 382 if I am not mistaken is adjusted to heat/cold and iso but not to positions. Elgin did not make a lot of private label watches but did make a few so maybe a jeweler wanted "Special" written on it and Elgin was happy at a cost to do so. The dial is probably a replacement since if it was a PL that PL name would be on it and if it was an Elgin dial it would have Elgin in some font. The style of the font is a lot like what you see on the 156/162 but the 382 is nowhere in the league with those grades.

Hi Claude,
I am sorry that I did not express the dial properly, it has got Elgin on it, and looks typical for the time etc. When I get the watch I will post some pics of it in its entirety, and I thought the same if the movement was marked so should the dial. I just lifted a pic of where I bought it
Bill

Elgin was a bit different, CD Peacock is a good example, the dial is PL but the movements are not. Hamilton and Illinois usually marked both, I have seen Elgin mark the movement uniquely but the dial was not.

I can't recall seeing an Elgin where the movement and dial were both marked in a PL form.

I think, that recently I read somewhere about some Hamiltons,and I could be mistaken, possibly 974's marked with the "special" notation, does anyone know if they were private labels and if so for whom ? Or if it is a P/L for some jeweler, would it not be likely others would have been made, and seen, I would think that getting a single movement marked might be costly, especially for a very medium gr. at best.
Thanks,
Bill

Not really Bill, I had an Elgin grade 339, in the same ballpark as this one but a hunter version and it had a unique dmk effect and was marked William B Krill in gold lettering. Totally different than any other 339 that I have seen. I found the history on the watch and the original owner was a jeweler (William B Krill) and his son joined him and there were only 2 such marked Elgins noted in the Elgin PL list. One of the ancestors found reference to the watch and I sold it to them for memory purposes. For a slight fee Elgin would do PL for jewelers but most of the time it is marked on the dial and not the movement.

At best if anything is special, most 382's have black lettering and this one has gilt lettering and screws so that makes it different.

Claude you are a wealth of info on these Elgins, and I have to admit, I think you are right. The gold lettering is different, and also the gold screws on all the jewel settings.
Which brings me to another question, if you notice on the balance cock jewel I am missing a screw, does anyone have one?
Thanks,
Bill

You also need a gilt screw for the large wind wheel.