I saw an Elgin grade 1 which was a 16s LS hunter that is a 7j gilt movement on ebay at a decent price so I sprung for the BIN. I have never seen one before and when I try to find anything about them, nothing shows up. There were only 3000 made so it is was not produced in big number even though it was a 7j watch. Does anyone have one of these watches?

Front of watch

Movement

Case Back

Close up of dial

Claude, the left side cut for the lever set and the large clearance around the dial tells me this case was "clearanced" for an Elgin 16-1/2s CONVERTIBLE!!!

That makes the case vastly more interesting because there are so many orphaned Convertible around needing such.

The nice Model 1 movement deserves an equally nice 16s case. Meanwhile this one should be testedd for fitment to a convertible as well.

Dave I had a discussion with a friend and I said that I thought this was a convertible case, and yes the movement is a bit loose in the case. The case is an early Keystone JBoss case, there is more of a solid ring that says JBoss dustproof case and from the marking it appears to be a 14K 25yr case. Usually on a hinged bezel and back the hinges are at the bottom but this one has the bezel hinge to the left size at the 7-8hr position and the case back is to the 4-5hr position (open face layout).

Good Eye picking that one up Claude. Looks like an all around winner.

It was a $129 BIN and I did, as many Elgins as I have I have never seen a grade 1 movement so I had to double check to see if it really was a 16s grade. Even if it is a 7j movement there can't be many of the original 3000 total left since most 7j would be tossed or scavanged for 11-15j movements. I agree with Dave if the case was made for a convertible I probably should find a good 15 low production 3 finger convertible to put in the case. I doubt that many of the 21j convertibles will show up for anything less than a four digit figure so I will have to stay with the 15j versions.

Acually that is a GRADE 1, Model 3. I apologize for the fact that I meant to advise I have a 16s Convertible on eBay right now which is not bid up to anything like its value. About an hour or so to go and it is still at Twenty Bucks and change
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...ageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but Dave, I did bid on your convertible movement and won the auction...my bid was much higher than it went for, but that's probably no consolation.

Roger, I am glad that I know it is going and may do some good. It is a fairly rare Grade 48 "Honest" 3 PAIRED train jewels to make it a 13J movement. Quite respectable for that time. It would be worth much, much more wearing a case like Claude has shared with us.

Roger I will have to look tonight since I think I a convertible of the same grade that I gave up on finding a case for many years ago. The one you won is a nice movement, hands and dial are correct for the grade.

I pulled my Elgin convertible out of the stash and it is a grade 48 (13j) and I noticed mine had one extra screw down jewel set than the one Roger purchased did. And yes the case is perfect fit for it.