I was fortunate to pick up a very odd, if not very rare?? Veritas. It is a 16s grade 376 in mint condition, but more interesting, it is PENDANT SET. Serial is 16,678,185 From the resources I've checked, all grade 376 are noted to be Lever-set; gold train, jeweled motor barrel, gold balance cap jewel, (diamond caps on balance); raised gold jewel settings. 9000 total production of Grade 376, this is 5th run. No-one I've talked to has seen a pendant-set Veritas 16size 376. My "guess" is it very likely was custom-order; machining is complete for "normal" Lever set but pendant-set work is obviously factory and original. All numbers match. But I'm curious how many more are out there; anyone have one or seen one? I'm far from an expert on Elgins!!! Thanks!
Posts: 43 | Location: St.Paul, Minnesota USA | Registered: February 18, 2007
FWIW your watch is probably a Monday morning hangover mistake. The 376 was indeed the best of the 37x line of Elgins (23j) and I have a pendent set 370 that is a beaut that I will gladly trade you!!
If someone messed up it is doubtful that Elgin would trash the watch since to them it still could be sold and used and in that time frame might have still been allowed on some rail lines.
Posts: 1797 | Location: Michigan in the USA | Registered: September 19, 2009
Interesting theory, and very possible especially since there has not been any "yeah, I've seen several of those from that run" posts.. Just like the old adage I grew up with, "never buy a car made in Detroit on a Monday" :-) Will never know. Fun to own, regardless. Thanks for the input!
Posts: 43 | Location: St.Paul, Minnesota USA | Registered: February 18, 2007
Elgin did do special orders but I tend to think it was a boo boo. I have a friend that has a has a 455 marked as Father Time and the 455 was marked as a BWR but his run was right after a run of 454 which were marked as Father Time. There might have been a run of pendant sets prior to the run of 376's and your was started up wrong but I doubt that someone would say much since it might cost them their job and it still could be sold.
Posts: 1797 | Location: Michigan in the USA | Registered: September 19, 2009
Hmmmm one thought on the "oops" theory ( though very possible). If employee accidently machined ( and finished pendant set version), why bother machining the lever set area, which could then easily have been correctedTO the supposedly correct lever set order? No more " oops", mistake corrected......
Posts: 43 | Location: St.Paul, Minnesota USA | Registered: February 18, 2007
Elgin did make high end pendant sets, the grade 351 Lord Elgin being one of them. For Elgin why bother fixing a boo-boo, knock off a buck or two and sell it as it was. Machining it would mean tearing the unit down again and running it through the labor intensive process again. Elgin did machine pendant sets and convert them to lever sets with grades like the 266, 283, 277 but converting a lever set to a pendant set was not something that I have seen. and the pendant set to lever set conversions were always 18 size full plates so there might have been something that prevented a 16 size 3/4 plates from being done the same way.
Posts: 1797 | Location: Michigan in the USA | Registered: September 19, 2009