PM2988: Elgin 16S 21J LS adj 5p Father Time Up & Down indicator grade 374 pocket watch #19641189, YGF case

Elgin 16S 21J LS adj 5p Father Time Up & Down indicator grade 374 pocket watch #19641189, YGF case

Your Price:

$1,785.00

PM2988: Thank you for your interest! This item has been sold as of 08/22.

Description
Store Policies

Elgin 16S 21J lever set (LS) adj 5p Father Time Up & Down indicator grade 374 pocket watch #19641189, beautiful nickel split plate movement with raised gold screw-down jewel settings, gold center wheel and a sunburst design damascene pattern, porcelain enamel Montgomery-style dial with bold boxcar-style Arabic numbers, red and black 1-60 minute markers and subsidiary seconds and power registers, dial has a small flake at the edge by the lever and a small scratch across the "17" minute markers however no hairlines or other significant defects, bold blue steel spade & whip style hands, re-cased into an impressive yellow gold filled (YGF) screw back & bezel (SB&B) case with deep, crisp engine turning around a fancy blank monogram shield with floral accents, coin edge engraving accents on both bezels, French-style bow and a glass crystal, case is showing only very light wear with hardly any smoothing to the engraving, measures approx. 49mm in diameter x 65mm in length x 12mm thick (crystal included). An impressive, high quality vintage railroad grade Elgin from the early 1900s in near mint condition!

Year Made: 1917-1918
Company: Elgin
Movement Size: 0416S
Jewels: 0721J
Setting/Movement Type: lever set
Adjustments: 5 positions
Model/Grade: Father Time Up & Down indicator grade 374
Serial #: 19641189
Movement Finish: nickel
Movement Details: wind indicator, gold jewel settings (GJS), gold center wheel
Dial Material: porcelain enamel
Dial Details: Montgomery style
Hand Style: spade & whip
Case Style: SB&B
Case Material: Gold Filled - Yellow
Case Details: re-cased, French bow
Case Width/Diameter: 49mm (1.93 inches)
Case Length, bow included: 65mm (2.56 inches)
Case Thickness: 12mm (0.47 inches)
Crystal Material: glass
Condition: Near Mint
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 about the company.
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 September 28th, 2022, 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.

This is considered a "railroad-grade" pocket watch. To be a railroad-grade watch, the following criteria must be met:

be 16S or 18S
have 17 or more jewels
be lever set
be in an open face case
be adjusted to 5 or more positions.
have easily-legible Arabic dial numerals

In order to ensure the accuracy of pocket watches used by railroad employees, with the ultimate goal of preventing train accidents, the General Railroad Timepiece Standards Commission published a set of guidelines for railroad companies and watch manufacturers in 1893. These guidelines, which specified the criteria for a railroad-grade watch, were prepared by Webb C. Ball, the general time inspector of North American railroads and founder of the Ball Watch Company.

For more information, visit this Wikipedia article on railroad chronometers or this Smithsonian National Postal Museum article on the influential train wreck tragedy that resulted in the establishment of railroad watch standards.

Our entire collection of such timepieces may also be viewed at our Railroad Grade Watches category.

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 additional information on gold colors and how they are classified, please check out this helpful Wikipedia article.

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.

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Understanding Our Descriptions
Return Policy
Payment & Shipping

We process a very large number of watches and accessories each year for sale via our website, eBay and local avenues. We attempt to offer descriptions and photos that are as complete and clear as possible on each item, and we always encourage you to write us with questions if something is not addressed in the description!

In each description, we attempt to note the following things:
<maker><size><jewels><setting><adjustments><grade/model><serial number>, <movement information>, <dial information>, <hand information>, <case information>, <misc. information>, <overall condition and comments>

Taking an example of a watch already described, we've bracketed the different sections and ordered them as above:
<Ball-Hamilton> <16S> <21J> <LS> <adj.> <Official RR Standard> <#B651197>, <nickel movement with gold jewel settings and concentric circle damascene pattern, should be noted that the gears on the movement may not be all original however watch is running strong and not affecting running condition>, <porcelain Ball marked dial with Arabic numbers has very faint hairline (not distracting)>, <blue steel hands>, <beautiful YGF SB&B Ball marked case with engraved bezels and blank monogram shield showing normal even wear (no brass)>, <fancy bow>. <High grade Ball watch in very good condition, perfect to carry everyday!>

We also provide a List of Abbreviations that we use in our descriptions, as well as a Pocket Watch Sizing Chart that explains numerically and graphically the various sizes of pocket watches that we offer.

We offer a 30-day return period beginning the day you receive your items for all PM Time Service merchandise. To receive a full refund, the item must be return in "as shipped" condition, with no new personalized engravings or end-user adaptions. Items damaged in transit will be eligible for the full refund pending the application of the insurance claim on the damaged watch or item. Please see our Shipping & Return Policy page for full details.

Holiday & Vacation Dates - Unless otherwise noted on our holiday page, you can expect an order placed to be processed and shipped out within 2-3 business days, often much sooner. If you need an item quickly, please do double check our holiday page to make sure we will be in the office!

Please use the "Estimate Your Shipping" button on the Shopping Basket page to get a specific quote on your current shipping fees. The estimate will be available once you have added at least one (1) item to your shopping cart.

In order to provide a fair and secure shipping experience for our customers, and protect your valuable purchases, we include full insurance for the total value of your order with all items purchased. At this time, we do not allow for a customer to opt-out of insurance on their shipments. Details may be found at our Shipping, Insurance, & Return Policy page.

We are happy to accept credit cards and PayPal, as well as checks and money orders, for payment on all orders.

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Elgin 16S 21J LS adj 5p Father Time Up & Down indicator grade 374 pocket watch #19641189, YGF case