I just got this today.They call it a pershing becouse of the dial.Has a screw back case with a 7 jewel pendent set grade 462 movement.Serial no 21160409 made in 1918.Does any one know any one that make leather straps for these that look like they came from the WW1 era

A nice looking watch. Thanks for the images.

On ebay, I have seen some nice looking authentic straps for sale. I like the type with a leather back to keep the watch from making contact with the skin. Get one wide enough to fit your lugs. They don't look right if the strap is too thin.

Greg
All I see is 10,12 mm and then there is anothter I saw 18mm it has 16mm lugs I might have to fine some one that make's custom straps.

This is a nice wristwatch, but I am not sure it is entirely accurate to say this is a WW I wristwatch which implies that it is a military one. These were civilian wristwatches made to appeal to soldiers and civilians who liked the look of these in that time period. I am sure many soldiers wore ones like this as personal items. The military issued very few wristwatches during this war. They have their dials marked "Signal Corps U.S.A." and there is a nice thread on them in this forum that you can see by clicking on Official issue WW I wristwatches .

Jim
Do you have a copy of military timepieces on page 532 there is one in it but with white dial same as the black dial said it was it was a WW1 Aviator's wrist watch but that's all.And here is another link with more info.
https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/f...0103944/m/2961001703

I will take a look at Whitney, but the discussion at the referenced posting on the forum does not convince me these were military issued. The one watch there with the military markings on the case are WW II markings which make no sense and leads me to think that the case or at least the case back is not original to the watch. It is always tricky to rely only on a few examples of existing watches since all watches of any age have been through many repairs over the years where the watchmakers were motivated to make the timepiece work well rather than using only the exact original parts.

Do the old Elgin company records still exist somewhere? If so, that would be a good place to look to see if they had any contracts with the U.S. military at that time to provide this model of watch.

Jim
Check this post from another forum has a document dated 1926 with this watch.
http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?p=60785

Thanks, Mike. I took a look at Whitney and he says on page 533 "Manufacturers in thei advertisements, referred to these as "Military," "Trench," "Soldier," and "Aviator" watches. This reinforces my point that during the war these were private purchase watches.

That excellent reference you found shows that in 1926 the Army started purchasing some for official issue, but that the ones they purchased have the military serial number marking OC1-OC31834 and that the hands and numerals are coated in luminous material (it would be radium at that time). I would imagine that the one with the WW II markings on the back in that other post may be original rather than a replaced case and that the contract specifications had changed sometime after 1926 - perhaps in the 1930s?

I was using a lupe to look on the back cover and saw something scrached in the back cover MM large letter's has to be the owner initial's then in small letter's 29th Div QM.29 is the unit and QM for quarter master.Here is a photo of back.

I looked on the net and found the 29th div.Acivated 1917 National Guard Div from Virginia Maryland,overseas 1918,Major operation Meuse-Agonne,Casualties 5,570,787 KIA,4783 WIA,Returned to the USA in 1919.Here is a web site about the 29th DIV.
http://www.29infantrydivision.org/
And they call the dial a Pershig dial after General Black Jack Pershing and look at the second marks 48 stars for 48 states Alaska and Hawaii were not states yet.

Mike

Although this is a WWII Bund strap. It works & looks great on my lugged Pershing. Just type the word BUND into the Search eBay box.
Wayne