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Elgin National Watch Co. was in operation from 1864-1968 and was an American pocket watch manufacturer. Manufacturing of Elgin watches took place at their facility in Elgin, Illinois.
This multichromatic railroad porcelain-enamel dial on this piece is absolutely spectacular and very likely one of one. At first glance, it has all the hallmarks of a traditional American railroad dial: bold Arabic numerals, an outer minute track with red indices, and a sub-seconds dial. But the closer you look, the more incredible it becomes. The center of the dial features an elegant silver circular motif, while the outer minute track is finished with gold inlay. The combination of silver, gold, and red creates incredible contrast while still retaining that classic railroad aesthetic. We have never encountered another dial with this exact configuration, making it one of the most unique railroad dials to ever come across our bench. The movement is powered by Elgin’s Grade 121, a movement produced only briefly between 1892 and 1896. Every component of the movement was carefully restored by hand in our workshop in Little Rock, Arkansas. Screws and steel hardware were thermally blued using traditional open-flame thermal coloring to improve corrosion resistance while adding rich depth and contrast (read more here). The jewel settings, gear train, balance, and balance weights were individually hand-polished to restore their original golden tone. The Breguet hands were mirror polished to remove corrosion and then thermally blued to impart an iridescent blue hue. Against the bright white porcelain-enamel dial, they provide exceptional contrast while creating a cohesive connection to the rich multichromatic detailing throughout the piece.
The timepiece is housed in our 40 mm surgical-grade 316L stainless steel conversion case, designed for one of the best fits available in any conversion. Engineered with both caseback and crown gaskets, it offers water resistance up to 50 meters (though it is recommended to remove the watch before water activities). Fully serviced and carefully inspected, this watch is ready for your next adventure.
Watch Performance
Accuracy: +/- 10 seconds per day
Amplitude: 250 degrees
Beat Error: 1.5 ms
Frequency: 18,000 (5 beats per second)
Power Reserve: 24-30 hours
Complication: Sub second hand
Watch Specifications
Manufacture: Elgin
Location: Elgin, Illinois
Year Manufactured: 1895
Dial Material: Porcelain-enamel
Jewels: 15 jewels
Case Diameter: 40 mm
Front Crystal: Domed sapphire
Back Crystal: Flat sapphire
Case Material: 316L stainless
Lug width: 20 mm
Lug to Lug: 48 mm
Height: 13 mm
Serial Number: 5685515
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
All Frett & Co. Clockworks watches come with a full 1-year warranty unless otherwise stated.