Hello Group,
I am being offered quite a scarce watch. It is a Elgin BWR 544 military wind indicator, serial #39516430. Shugart's list one with 22j, sweep seconds, GCW as a four star watch $4000-8,500. What is GCW? Gold center wheel or is it a typo & should read GCT? Mine is a white dial marked GCT with a 0-23 inner track ring & a 0-60 outer track ring. It has just the wind indicator dial at the top & no seconds dial at the bottom, seeing it has a sweep seconds hand. It has a Elgin white base metal case with full military ords (USAC). all numbers matching. Movement is marked 21j but was told it is actually a 22j movement. Can this be? It is a sweep seconds with hack. I would love to know more about this watch before I pull the trigger. I have searched & can not even find a photo of this watch. Does anyone have one they can post? Also the Elgin serial number data base list this watch as

Serial Number SN Range RunQty Name Year grade size code jewels Adj/reg/etc.
-------------- -------- ------ ---- ---- ----- ---- ------ ------ ------------
39516430 39516301 200 BWR 1940 544* 16s s3n15h 21-22j A5P j
only run of grade 544; 130 of 200 in grade; 130 of hack setting;
930 of 22 jewels


grade total runs first yr last yr class size code jewels Adj/name
----- ----- ----- -------- ------- ----- ---- ------ ------ ----------
544 200 1 1940 1940 ? 16s s3n15h 21-22j A5P / BWR

(*) notes on grade 544: SS Hack setting first hack setting
**** UNKNOWN DATA LISTED! UPDATE DATABASE IF POSSIBLE ****

If there were only 200 produced, how can there be 930 with 22 jewels. Am I reading this wrong? How many of the watch that I am describing with the hack setting were produced. I know, lots of questions, but this one has me confused. I appreciate all your help. Best, Jim

James

Sounds like a nice watch, I will do some more searching but other posts I found say there were only 200 made. Elgin also made another 22 jewel BWR without the wind indicator, so perhaps that is the 930 the database is talking about.

I have never seen one but I am assuming the 22 jewel is similar to what Hamilton put on the 4992B, it is a jewel on the back of the movement that the center sweep second shaft rotates in, that is why the 4992B is a 22 jewel & I would guess the same for the BWR.

Tom