Elgin 23J B.W. Raymond grade 730A wrist watch, case #RR6 9992, vintage mechanical manual-wind nickel split plate movement with bold red ruby jewels, off-white hard enamel dial with Arabic-style black numbers, a black seconds register marked at 6 o'clock and marked "B.W. Raymond Elgin" on the upper half, dial has a few small spots of discoloration but no scratches or damage, slender black steel baton-style hands with pointed tips, heavy round smooth polish stainless steel (SS) water-resistant case with a lightly sloped bezel, tapered extended lugs and a high domed acrylic crystal, case is showing normal even wear overall with a few short, heavier scratches on the bezel and crystal edge, measures approx. 35mm in diameter x 42mm lug to lug x 10mm thick (crystal included), heavily textured black leather band. An impressive vintage railroad approved wrist watch from the mid-1900s in excellent condition!
- Year Made: mid 1900s
- Company:
Elgin
- Jewels: 0523J
- Setting/Movement Type:
manual-wind
- Model/Grade: B.W. Raymond grade 730A
- Serial #: (case) #RR6 9992
- Movement Finish: nickel
- Dial Material: hard enamel
- Dial Color: ivory/off-white
- Dial Details: marked "B.W. Raymond Elgin"
- Hand Style:
baton - light
- Case Style:
round
-
Case Material:
Stainless Steel
- Case Details: water resistant (WR)
-
Case Width, without crown:
35mm (1.38 inches)
-
Case Length, lug to lug:
42mm (1.65 inches)
-
Case Thickness:
10mm (0.39 inches)
-
Interior Lug Width:
19mm
(3/4")
-
Band Size:
7in. to 7.99in.
(measurement range includes watch length & band)
- Band Material: leather strap
- Crystal Material: acrylic
- Condition:
Excellent
-
Gender:
Gentlemen's
The Elgin watch company, out of Elgin, Illinois, was in business from 1864-1964, and while active, was the largest-producing American watch company, manufacturing an estimated half of all pocket watches ("dollar" watches not included). By 1956 they had produced over 55 million pocket and wrist watches.
As an additional resource, we've posted a
Serial Number Production List which includes information for Elgin serial numbers and dates of manufacture.
The NAWCC also has a
comprehensive article about the company; additional information may also be found on
Wikipedia.
You may browse all of our men's pocket watches from this manufacturer at our
Vintage Men's Elgin Pocket Watches category.
This watch is in good running condition, unless otherwise noted in the description. This means that on receipt, pending any item-specific running conditions noted in the description, you can expect the watch to be winding and setting properly and to run smoothly while keeping reasonable time. We consider "reasonable time" to meet these basic guidelines:
- Railroad Grade Watches will be keeping +/- 5 minutes per day
- Pocket and Wrist Watches with 15 or more jewels will be keeping +/- 10 minutes per day
- All key wind watches and watches with 14 or fewer jewels will be keeping +/- 15 minutes per day
The above guideline is the lowest standard in which we would ship out a watch, however in most cases, you will see much better timekeeping. Most of our watches have been in storage for many years, so if you plan on carrying/wearing them everyday, you should consider having them cleaned and oiled soon, and then once a year thereafter to keep them in top running condition. If the watches will be for occasional use or display, they should be cleaned and serviced every 3 to 5 years depending on use.
As of June 5th, 2023, we are not offering a cleaning and service option through PM Time Service. While we do hope to offer this again in the future, we are unfortunately unable to meet customer requests for watch servicing at this time. Please note that, unless otherwise mentioned within the "Full Description" tab, this watch is being sold in good running condition and is ready to wear or carry on arrival.
Unlike modern quartz watches, most vintage watches need daily winding in order to keep the watch functioning for timekeeping. Additionally, there are a number of different ways to set the time other than simply pulling the crown away from the watch body. We are happy to provide an overview of each of the different setting types on our
"How To Use" page, where we also provide information on proper winding techniques for each style and some suggestions for the proper long term care and storage of your watch.
For your gift giving convenience, please find a consolidated overview of the information on this item, with no reference to the price, on this
printer-optimized page.
