| Author | Message | ||
     Dansommer New member Username: Dansommer Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2010 Rating: N/A |
I received this watch from my wife's uncle. I tried to find a similar watch on the internet but have not found one that has the distinctive "wings" on the case. If you could give me any information about the watch I sure would appreciate it. Also, what do you think it's worth?  | ||
| Dansommer New member Username: Dansommer Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2010 Rating: N/A |
Here's a picture of the movement.  | ||
| Dansommer New member Username: Dansommer Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2010 Rating: N/A |
Here's a picture of the shell.  | ||
| Dansommer New member Username: Dansommer Post Number: 4 Registered: 02-2010 Rating: N/A |
One last question and then I'll let you experts get down to appraising my contestant. The back of the case says "10K Gold Filled". What does that exactly mean? If the watch itself isn't "noteworthy" will it have an intrinsic gold value and how do you determine the amount of gold? | ||
| Gregb Advanced Member Username: Gregb Post Number: 203 Registered: 10-2006 Rating: N/A |
Your Elgin watch was produced approximately 1953. Although Elgin sometimes gave names to particular models in advertising, you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows the name of this model. Model names are rarely used in the vintage watch collecting world except for a few key/important models. The term "gold-filled" is used to describe items that have a thick brass core sandwiched between 2 very thin layers of karat gold (10 karat, in your watch). The gold layer is typically only 80-120 microns thick, so there is actually very little gold at all in the case. It would take many pounds of gold-filled cases to yield just a single ounce of gold, so the gold scrap value of your watch is negligable. The vintage watch market is very soft right now and the Elgin watches don't fetch very high prices even in a good economy. The value of your watch is around $100-$125. | ||
| Dansommer New member Username: Dansommer Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2010 Rating: N/A |
Thank you very much Gregb for your insight. I was thinking that the watch was produced in 1966 because of the "1966" in the "K371966" stamp. I'm pleasently surprised that it is 1953. Is there some book that cross references serial numbers to year? What's that best way to sell the watch - ebay? | ||
| Gregb Advanced Member Username: Gregb Post Number: 208 Registered: 10-2006 Rating: N/A |
Case styling is a dead giveaway that your watch was produced long before the 1960s. This type of deco styling on men's watches started in the 1940s and ended mid-1950s. There is a very good website covering Elgin watches that has a serial number/production date look-up: http://elginwatches.org/databases/elgin_sn_intro.html |