Greetings all.

I know it is much easier to identify things here with a photo. I just don't have one yet for this watch. I can post some in the next week or so. I have a men's Elgin from, I'm guessing the 1940's or 50's. It has, what I believe to be the original metal band still on it. The face needs a good cleaning, but the movement looks fine (to a layman like myself). The movement, as far as I can see, only has two things stamped on it, "Elgin 19 Jewels" followed by "732". I don't see an actual serial number on the watch itself. On the case is "T780345" and it looks like case number is 9529. It looks like it may be missing a small second hand from the bottom of the dial.
The two questions;
1) Is this too broad of a description to figure out what this watch's name and date is without pictures?
2) Would the serial number be somewhere else that I can't see without taking the watch apart. Which I'm smart enough to realize that I won't be doing.
Any ideas or assistance would be much appreciated.

Greetings again.

As a follow up to my question, here are some pictures that may help.

Number 2

Number 3.

...and number 4.
More than anything else, the face worries me a bit. I'm not sure just how much that can be cleaned up and made presentable. And unfortunately, I don't have the missing second hand anywhere.
As before, any assistance that can be thrown my way would be most appreciated.
Happy Tuesday!

Greetings again all.

This is kind of cool, my own little online watch diary! I just wanted to add a little more info that I think is correct. In my searches, I came across Wayne Schlitt's Elgin site. If I plug the "serial number" from the case back into the serial number lookup, it appears that the watch is from 1944. Unfortunately, that is all that I can really find so far, but it is a very informative site.
Happy Wednesday.
Ed

Hi Ed,

I don't really know very much about your particular watch, but I noticed that you stated that you entered the serial number from the case back. You need to use the number from the movement to get the information you're looking for. You may need a magnifier to find and read it. It should be stamped on the movement somewhere. Hope this helps.

If only I could find a number on the movement. Being someone with two (or three) left thumbs, when it comes to intricate things such as this, I know better than to dismantle it. My third picture (of the movement) shows everything that I can see without taking it apart. And while the Elgin site said not to use the number on the case back, it looks like the correct...layout, order (?) of a serial number, it popped up in the records, and it should be just about the correct time frame.
I guess one of my biggest questions is, would the serial number be hidden somewhere inside the movement so that the only way to find it would be to take it apart? If that is the case, I may just have to find someone to do a little detective work. It isn't working now, so it may not hurt anything to do that anyway.
Thanks for responding. I don't feel so all alone now!

Hello Edward,
The watch dial can be made like new by a any of the dial refinishers. It costs about $20.

I suspect that the movement is probably from the fifties or sixties, since it has shock protection (kiflector) on the balance jewels. I am not sure where the serial number is on your particular watch, but once found, the date should be no problem.

That is what is so great about this board, the assorted and collective knowledge from everybody. I have zero knowledge about shock protectors and would never have picked up on that. That would defininitely make the number on the case incorrect for dating purposes. So I guess the next question from me does have to do with the dial. I always hear about just taking the face off and sending it out. How does one go about removing the dial? I have a feeling that it is something that I personally would be uncomfortable doing, especially since I would have to remove the hands to get it off. Of course the missing second hand would make that a little bit easier!
Which is the next question, how easy is it to get a replacement hand for the watch. And are there any pictures out there of the same watch to show what the second hand should look like?
Sorry to keep this thread going for so long. The more I ask, the more I realize I just don't know. But thanks to Scott and Charles for egging me on!
Have a good weekend all!
Ed

Hello Lindell.
Thanks for responding. I always feel a little tingle of excitement when one of the "big guns" comes out to respond to one of my topics!
I couldn't agree with that sage, old advice more. Having broken, snapped, dropped, lost or just plain destroyed any number of projects in past, I certainly have no plans on attacking this watch myself. Heck, I was nervous just trying to wind the thing. Of course the lovely green slime on the stem kind of scared me too!
Thanks for including the link for Chris Abell. I will be contacting him soon to see what he can do for me. From the rants and raves that I read, I have no doubt it will be great.
Finally, you are correct about joining. I really have no good reason why I haven't done so yet. I shall also remedy that soon.
Thanks again for your input!
Happy Tuesday!
Ed