Last week on Ebay I ran across a buy it now of this pocket watch & two wrist watches for $5.00 plus $4.80 shipping.

I thought I would post photos of this pocket watch & dial. The watch is an 18s BWR, the photos of the movement are as I received it, I have not cleaned it yet, the balance appears OK so far.

Back of case

Movement

This is the dial after I cleaned it a little, it has one hairline I can see near the 7 minute mark. The dial has gold highlights around some of the symbols but they are hard to show.

I tried to show some of the gold in this photo.

Who made this type of dial back then, since it is marked Elgin did the factory do these?

I welcome any comments.

Tom

Tom,
Now, where was it, that I can punch you over this?

I can't believe I missed this one!

Congratulations on a Great Buy!!!!!!

(Green with Envy)

Wow, being an elgin collector, i'm glad to see you have such a unique find for only $5. On the other hand I cant believe i missed such a great find/buy.
Im not much on the symbols but i love the globe on the seconds dial.

Tom,
Looks like a factory Elgin dial number 1135 on page 73 of Roy Ehrhardt's Elgin ID and price guide (the yellow book).
Great find by the way..

Ray

Ray

Thanks for the info, that is one book I don't have yet.

Thanks Shiela & Darren for the comments, I think some of these buy it now items you just have to be there before someone else sees it. I don't see how it is worth the sellers time & gas to sell so cheap. They said they were cleaning out their grandparents estate, I wish I had something like this from my grandparents.

I also like the earth in the seconds too.

I posted the two wrist watches it came with on the wrist watch page, I don't know anything about wrist watches.

https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9886009961/m/9121042713

Tom

THAT IS A GREAT RECOVERY. I APPLAUD YOUR LUCK AND QUICK RESPONSE.

Here it is after cleaning, oil & new main spring. The crystal came with it, the minute hand was very bent & I straightened it some but it still is a little bent. Seems to be running great at 18002 BPH.

Tom

What a shame.

Ok, I'll help out and send you $20 to take it off your hands. That way you made a little profit.

No?

Oh well. Thought I'd try.

Isn't it neat when you find jems like this under the grim?

GREAT job!

Regards! Mark

I will up that to $25.95. I hope some of your'e good fortune rubs off on the rest of us.

Well I only report my good buys, unfortuantely I have a good share of bad ones. Just wish I could find the good ones every day. You notice I am not greedy, I only want one a day.

Tom

Was searching the web & found a on-line business selling an identical watch to this one of mine, there asking price $2500.00

Seems mighty high priced to me.

Tom

Agreed. My $20 offer still stands, Tom!

Regards! Mark

Mark

I will keep you in mind, I don't think this watch is worth any where close to $2500, I was just amazed to see another one & then to see their asking price.

Tom

Tom,

Why don't you contact them and see if they will give you $2000.00 for yours.

Steve

You know I thought about that Steve but I have a feeling they are like most of these antique store business, they will give you $15.00 for something & then try to resale it for $750.00

Some of the local antique stores I approached in the past about buying some of my watches, but it was strange when I tried to sell them a serviced $200 watch for $100 they would not buy, but they have for sale on their shelves an $80 Elgin for $425. I think the majority of them want to be given the item & then sell it for an outrageous price. I don't mind someone making a profit & even doubling their money I can handle but then greed kicks in on their part.

Tom

I occasionally run across stores like that, Tom. I even asked one owner why. In HIS case, he KNEW his watches weren't worth what he was asking, but on occasion a picker from 'the big city' (usually New York or Chicago) passes through, and as long as the watches are running, they pay what ever is asked, regardless of what the watch is. So, he marks them up to the outrageous prices we've seen and sometimes actually gets it from these guys!

Regards! Mark

Mark

I know what you mean, last month I spent a week in Milwaukee (my 1st visit), walking the downtown I came to a jeweler that had the most pocket watches on display that I have ever seen in one place (as you can tell I have never been to David Abbe's or Lindell's houses).

Went in the store all excited that I had struck the mother lode. Well after looking at a few & the prices I knew I was in the wrong place. The salesman told me just the day before he had sold a nice 7 jewel 18s Elgin to a gentleman from Florida for $800, I asked was it a sold gold case, nope a gold filled.

Tom

Tom,
You can find a few more of these dials at the URL below. They're listed in the Elgin 1896 Materials Catalog too.

Take a look.

http://elginwatches.org/scans/tech_doc/1896_MC/m_pg027_dials.html

Sheila

Thanks for the info, I use the Elgin site all the time but it does so many things I do not know how to do but thanks to your posts I have tried a few new things & found info there that I didn't know was there.

I can not learn from any one better than the Elgin Queen.

Tom

ps. I picked up a neat old hard back Elgin Materials book the other day, it was printed in 1904 & is in great shape.