I just purchased this Elgin this afternoon as I wanted a 'knock-around' carry watch without too much of an investment. Seller said it was not running and had been in a drawer for a long time.

It's a 478 grade, 16s, 21 jewels, etc., manufactured in 1933, in a 10KGF BOSS case, s/n 33868343.

The pics are from the sale so not much more I can say right now except that the mvt. looks really clean, and perhaps the worst problem will be a staff.

I only have one question about it, and that is when did Elgin begin putting that star beneath their name on the dia, and does the star signify anything at all?

Any help appreciated.

Marty

The movement .......

I asked that very question about a year ago Martin. If I remember right, they started putting it on there in the 20's, and it was an advertising thing about their watches being timed by the stars. Here's a link https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/f...983965957#1983965957 Brad

In the find and Search at the top of every forum.

I put Elgin star and this is what I Found.

95 matches.

Brad: Thanks for that info.

Eugene: I guess I didn't enter the right words in the search function.

Marty

Very nice looking watch BTW Marty. Regards, Brad

Hello Martin, I agree with Brad that it is a nice looking movement and appears to be pretty clean....I would make sure it is serviced befor carrying in very long, since it was made in 1933....

I would make just one comment regarding your watch....

Since it's production date of 1933 predates the 'Star' dial by two years (Aug. 1935)it should have a dial similar to this one and should also have the same 'seconds' hand as this one has....

Your second hand was first used on the grade 571 that started production in 1947....

Regardless, your 478 Elgin will give you excellent service and be a very accurate time keeper for you....

Regards,

Jerry

Jerry I would have to disagree on your comment on the dial. You can absolutely find grade 478's and 506's with the star dial In fact the 478 listed falls in amongst the 506 serial numbers, if fact this was just a bit earlier than one of the "100" 478 pulls for the 506 which was 33,868,901-33,869,000.

The early 478's would have had the same looking dial as the 472 but Elgin did change the style and it is correct to find them on the 478 by the 33M serial number.

The dart second hand is more of a 57X style, I have seen then on extremely late 478's, since the 478 production went into the mid 40's but I would not expect to see one on a 478/506 in with a 33M sn on it so it was either a replacement or someone putting the wrong second hand on.

On the 1935 date you mention if you read the fine print it states that the ELGIN* had been used continiously since or about August 1933, his watch sn would place it about 1933.

From what I can see the case, dial and movement looked to be in very good condition. A good COA, find a time period correct second hand, sell the one on it since they tend to be hard to come by and enjoy a very good and durable railroad watch.

Gents:

I appreciate all of the information concerning the dial, the seconds hand, and everything else, but since I am far from being a watch purist I am satisfied just as it is.

I am in no way knocking 'purists', and those who want to return their watches to how they were originally configured, but that's just not my bag.

Thanks,
Marty

Martin, the information that Claude and I commented on is strictly fyi only and in no means is detrimental to the quality of your watch and Claude is correct about the date of the 'Star' being used on the Elgin dial....Elgin started using the Star in August 1933 prior to applying for the Patent in August 1935....

Regardless of all this, you will have yourself a fine timekeeper once you have repaired it....The BW Raymond pocketwatch was one of the finest watches evermade....

Wear it in good health my friend....

Regards,

Jerry

Jerry:

I fully understand that & never thought for one moment that either of you were knocking that fine watch.

All of that information is fine, but I seriously doubt as to whether I can absorb it being where I am. Heck.......I forgot what I had for breakfast this morning.

Trust that you get the point without me having to medically explain the problems of septugenarians.

Marty

The grade 478 was produced over a long run (by Elgin standards) from about 1922 to about 1946 and in numbers that outnumber the grade 571 at a time when Elging still had quite a few other grades there were competeting in the same RR approved market.

All that I know of were marked A5P but some of the later runs had "Temp" engraved on them also. Elgin also changed the location of the serial number from near the Adjusted 5 Positions area up on the train plate area.

I think there were only two basic dial types the pre-star and the star dial which were all single sunk (seconds sunk) but were available in the more common bold style and the less seen Montgomery style.

There were six runs of the 478 around the 33M-34M area that Elgin pulled the last 100 to use to make the grade 506 so those 478 runs were 900 unit runs rather than 1000 unit runs.

The grade 506 appears to have been more of a research grade, you will see some marked adj5p, some adj6p, some with bi-metallic balances and some with mono-metallic balances and this is a bit haphazard.

Hey Marty, I will be one of them thar things come early August of this year.... ....

Best Regards,

Jerry