In the later years, Elgin sold imported movements, mostly Swiss. If you have one of these, check here for more information.

Some later serial numbers begin with a single letter. Raymond model made in 1867, and range up to just over 50,000,000. Enter your watch movement's serial number and click 'Search' to lookup the watch.Įlgin watch serial numbers begin with their earliest watch, number 101, a B. Customers selected their watch cases separately at the retail shop, so the important number is inside on the mechanical part of the watch. The watches were sold as bare movements only. Note that the numbers on any part of the watch case, such as a serial number on the inside of the back cover, is a number that goes with the watch case only, and reveals nothing about the watch movement. The serial number on the watch works, called the 'movement', can be used to look up production information on watches made by the Elgin National Watch Company.

Using this site you can learn a good deal about your antique Elgin timepiece. Find out more about the Elgin National Watch Company here

Even though it had been, for a time, one of the largest industrial concerns in the world, today many people have no idea that America was once the world leader in quality timepieces. The Elgin National Watch Company went completely out of business in 1968.

Between 1867 and sometime in the 1960s when domestic manufacturing tappered off, Elgin made 10s of millions of pocket and wrist watches. The company's first model was a large, 18 size, movement priced at $117, which was a high price for that time. The National Watch Company, later known as the Elgin National Watch Company, was founded at the end of the Civil War, in 1864, in Elgin, Illinois. Welcome! Look up your Elgin watch serial number using this easy online database!

Elgin watch co serial numbers