Anybody know off hand if the grade 290 and 291's have interchangeable parts? I have a copy of the Elgin parts catalogue from 1915 and think I might be able to figure it out, but just checking to see if anyone can save me the work.

If I am working on a specific class, and hunting parts, in theory, if a different class uses the same part, I'd be able to verify it in the parts catalogue and use it, right?

Most of the parts will interchange such as 4th wheel center wheel 3rd wheel etc..might be some differance in the setting parts but probaly not.same watch but the 290 is hunting case and the 291 is open face.

Ok, I thought about it some more and now realize what I really should have asked is can you expect similar parts in different grade watches if the class is the same? It would seem you would have the same parts in that case.

Dale,

From the Elgin parts catalog, you will find that most parts are interchangeable between these watches with a few exceptions that Samie has noted.

Another watchout is the roller table jeweling for the Grade 290 and 291. Earlier watches were single roller and later watches were double roller. The change occurred around 20,000,000, but the exact transition is different for each grade of watch. The footnotes in the Elgin catalog have the serial numbers where the double roller started for the various grades.

Post here if you have a question about a part because others (like me) may have the same question.

John III

Well the roller jewel is the specific problem actually. I'm trying to get one grade 290 watch to work using other 290 parts movements. One has the double roller with a good jewel, but it has a bad staff.

The other has a great staff but a single roller table with a broken off jewel.

So could I use the good staff and balance and put the double roller table on that one, or do I need to get a new jewel for the single, or a single table and jewel.

It's all very complicated when you don't have access to all of the material, ya know?

And of course I know I need to keep track of the matching pallet and am keeping straight which parts came out of which watches.

Dale In short, re-jewel the single roller watch and re-staff the double roller watch and you will be twice as far ahead with both watches working!

The Single and Double Roller Jeweled models are NOT interchangeable. The pallet fork staffs and many associated dimensions governing the dynamics of the two types of designs are quite different.

Without muddying the waters further, IF YOU ARE LUCKY, you might be able to interchange some train wheeelsalthough you may have to replace the staffs for those wheels to fit the necessary end clearances.