The Elgin Watch Factory ca 1930
How to learn more about Elgin Watches
There is a lot to learn about Elgin watches and watches in general. I
hope the information here can answer many of your questions and give
you an introduction into the world of watch collecting.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What can you tell me about my watch?
- Using just the serial number off the watch movement can tell you
quite a bit about your watch. It is important to remember that serial
numbers off the watch case and off the watch movement are unrelated.
Only serial numbers off the movement (where the gears are) have any
known uses. For more details, see the
Watch Serial Number web page.
Some information on the age and quality of your watch movement can be
found by doing a
Serial Number Lookup
of the movement serial number. A little information about your watch
case can be found in the discussion on
Watch Values
web page. The
Documents & Pictures
contains many advertisements and catalogs that can give you an idea of
how your watch looked like, how it was priced and what image Elgin
tried to project about the watch when it was new.
Rarely can detailed information on a watch be found. Records of
sales from the factory to the wholesalers seem to have been lost, and
records for the wholesalers and jewelers are scattered. If you have a
little information about your watch, then you might be able to find
more by researching at your local library or historical society.
- How old is my watch?
- Some information on the age and quality of your watch movement can be
found by doing a
Serial Number Lookup
of the movement serial number.
- How much is my watch worth?
- Ah, such a simple question! Too bad there isn't an easy answer, or
often even a price range. To help you try and find the answer,
look at the watch values web page.
- I bought my Elgin watch a few months ago, and it broke. Can you help?
- See the Newer Elgins web page.
- Do you know where I can get a few more links for my watch band?
- See the Newer Elgins web page.
- Where can I learn more about watches?
- The What is a Watch? web page
is a good introduction to mechanical watches. It is a copy of a
booklet published by in the 1950s and it is designed to give watch
buyers enough information to make an informed decision on what watch
to buy. This is still the same information that you need to know today.
Also check out the
list of reference books, they cover the
subject in much more detail than anything currently available on the
Internet. There is also a
list of links to other websites
that cover watches. Specific questions are best answered by posting
to one of the
Watch BBSes.
- Where can I get my watch repaired at?
- See the Watch repair FAQ web page.
I still have questions, now what?
If your question isn't one of these frequently asked questions, try
looking around on the website some, but if you can't find you answer
here, I highly recommend posting a message to one of the
Bulletin Board Systems
that I have mentioned. I read them all and will respond to questions
posted to them. No question is too simple, and many of the people who
read these BBSes love to help people out when they can.
Posting to a BBS is generally better than emailing me for several
reasons:
First, your question may well have been asked recently and so your
answer may be already there.
Secondly, there are many people who read those boards and it is likely
that you will get an answer quicker than if you email me.
Lastly, if the answer I give you is incomplete or incorrect, other
people will fill in the facts.
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