I know this isn't a rare watch, but I've been looking for one in a factory stainless steel case for a while, landed this one and it got here today, thought I'd share a couple pics.
Posts: 1012 | Location: Western Pennsylvania in the USA | Registered: February 17, 2007
Nice example Gary, your Stainless Steel cased Elgin 571 is not a common item. Note that yours is called a "571 C" because of the "9 Adjustments" marking. It is difficult to see the "B. W. Raymond" signature on your movement but it is there. See this topic "Elgin 571 A, B and C Variant Questions" for more information on these watches.
Don
Posts: 504 | Location: Pennsylvania in the USA | Registered: April 02, 2005
I have both the 571B and 992B in stainless cases and both are nice in excellent condition and I carry them since there is no fear of wear through. You see them from time to time but as others have said not very common.
Posts: 1797 | Location: Michigan in the USA | Registered: September 19, 2009
I also have two Elgin 571(B)'s and a 992B (4th signature) all in their factory stainless steel cases.
All three are excellent timekeepers especially the Elgins, which can rival a quartz watch.
Now, only if Elgin had made a railroad standard pocket watch like the 571, but with their Durabalance balance wheel instead . . . that would have been cool . . .
Been looking for a Waltham Vanguard 1623 in a nickel silver case to complete my last generation, middle century, railroad standard 'big three' collection.
Posts: 301 | Location: Ogallala, Nebraska in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
This one makes 3 571C watches for me, the other 2 are in gold filled cases, been looking for the 571A & B variants for a while also, the A seems the rarest. Also been looking for Waltham Crescent St.,hunter watches, size 16.
Posts: 1012 | Location: Western Pennsylvania in the USA | Registered: February 17, 2007
I ran across a 571C (9 adjustments)in the stainless case yesterday in a shop north of Boston. It runs and seems to be in generally good shape. Interesting watch, but I have no idea what is considered a fair price to offer.
Eric Wells
Posts: 137 | Location: Merrimack, New Hampshire in the USA | Registered: December 18, 2012
Eric, Before you make an offer, check to make sure the winding stem and crown does not pull out of the watch.
This is a lever set watch, and sometimes someone in the past thinks the watch is stem set and has pulled on the crown to hard to try and set the watch. They break off a little retaining pin inside the watch and then the crown and stem will pull out of the watch. This is the weak area of these otherwise durable and very accurate watches.
The Elgin part to repair this problem is very scarce.
We don't discuss values in open forum, but we can in the closed 'pitfalls' forum. Ask about the value there and I'm sure you will get a response.
Posts: 301 | Location: Ogallala, Nebraska in the USA | Registered: August 27, 2005
The easiest way to establish value is with The 2015 Complete Guide to Watches in hand. I have appraised watches for estates, settled disputes between litigants and met with probate lawyers with an entire watch collection spread out on conference tables. The answer in each of these situations is the same as Eric's situation of buying from a shopkeeper.
You open the book and explain it is the recognized authority among watch collectors all over the world. There are three prices for every watch, if you cannot find the exact, same watch go to a similar example. In the instance of an Elgin 571 there are three prices on page 187 for a B. W. Raymond Grade 571 and several other similar grades and it is 200 / 250 / and 400 at this time.
Now negotiations begin, you can explain that you may need to have the watch serviced and how that eats into your investment. You can explain how the specific example in front of you relates to the values shown, that explanation is elsewhere in the watch guide. Become familiar with the guide, it is your textbook and you are a student of this hobby, put tabs on the pages you need for reference such as case content and other areas you use regularly. I have tabs for each pocket watch manufacturer on my desk copy.
We cannot appraise a watch with any degree of specificity without having it in-hand but from the watch guide and a few pictures we can come pretty close. As Joe explained above, we do it every day in our "Avoiding the PITFALLS of On-Line Trading!" forum.
Hope this helps and let us know how it turns out,
Lindell
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
