Waltham watch serial numbers. Waltham watches are highly collectible and are perhaps one of the easiest timepieces to date due to their serial numbers. Every Waltham watch produced since 1852 was engraved with a serial number. Determining the date of your Waltham pocket watch.
- So to determine when your watch was manufactured, you will need to find where your serial number fits within the range of numbers. Serial number look-up example: Let's say you have a Waltham watch with serial number 21,607,210 as shown in the photo below.
- The factory for the National watch company was completed in 1866, and the first movement produced was an 18-size B. Raymond model which sold in April of 1867 for the astounding price of $115. This identical watch, serial number 101, was sold at auction in New York in 1988 for $12,000.
Including Elgin Watch Serial Numbers and Production Dates
Elgin, Illinois
1864 - 1967
The Elgin Watch Company (also known as the Elgin National Watch Company) was the largest American watch manufacturer in terms of total production volume. In fact, Elgin produced approximately one-half of the total number of better-quality pocket watches manufactured in the United States. Total production over their 100 years of operation reached nearly 60 million watches, which is nearly 50% of ALL the jeweled watches produced by American watch companies! This makes Elgin one of the most commonly collected vintage watches since there are still so many examples available at reasonable prices.
The clock tower at the Elgin National
Elgin Pocket Watch Serial Numbers And Value Today
Watch Company
The Elgin National Watch Company was founded in 1864 in Elgin, Illinois as the National Watch Company, and some of the organizers were later to become the some of the biggest names in the American watch industry: J. C. Adams, P. S. Bartlett, D. G. Currier, Otis Hoyt, and Charles H. Mason, with financial backing from former Chicago Mayor Benjamin W. Raymond. The factory for the National watch company was completed in 1866, and the first movement produced was an 18-size B. W. Raymond model which sold in April of 1867 for the astounding price of $115. This identical watch, serial number 101, was sold at auction in New York in 1988 for $12,000. In 1874, the company officially changed their name to the Elgin National Watch Company, and that name remained until they stopped producing watches in the 1960's.
The 'Working Man's' Watch
The Elgin Watch Company's success was not built on its production of the highest-grade watches, though some of their higher grades were top-quality, exquisitely made timepieces. Their success can be attributed to their huge production of low to mid-grade watches.. 7 to 15-jewels. Together with the Waltham Watch Company, they dominated the huge market for mid-grade watches, producing over one-million per year during their peak years of production. Elgin watches remain extremely popular with collectors today because they are plentiful, can be obtained at reasonable prices, and can be relatively easily repaired due to the large number of watches and parts available.
The 'Working Man's' Watch
The Elgin Watch Company's success was not built on its production of the highest-grade watches, though some of their higher grades were top-quality, exquisitely made timepieces. Their success can be attributed to their huge production of low to mid-grade watches.. 7 to 15-jewels. Together with the Waltham Watch Company, they dominated the huge market for mid-grade watches, producing over one-million per year during their peak years of production. Elgin watches remain extremely popular with collectors today because they are plentiful, can be obtained at reasonable prices, and can be relatively easily repaired due to the large number of watches and parts available.
Elgin shipped their first wristwatch in 1910, and later manufactured the first wrist watch to be qualified for railroad service, the grade 730A B. W. Raymond. Throughout their history, the Elgin National Watch Company was known for horological innovations. In 1958, they introduced the 'DuraBalance,' an ingenious design for a free-sprung balance (no regulator pins) which used spiral balance arms and small weights to govern the moment of inertia of the balance. They also produced the only American-made automatic wristwatch movements: grades 607, 618, 760, and 761. These movements featured bi-directional, full-rotor winding, and had two automatic winding gear ratios, which were automatically engaged as the mainspring tension increased.
The contributions of the Elgin National Watch Company to American Horological industry cannot be overstated. Many Elgin watches that were made over 100 years ago are still providing reliable and accurate daily service to their proud owners.
Swiss Elgin Watches
During the last few years that Elgin was in business (late 50's through mid-60's), they began to reduce their US production and began importing Swiss watch movements which were finished and labeled as Elgin watches. Much of this assembly work was done at a new Elgin plant in Elgin, South Carolina.
For more information on Swiss Elgin watches, including a listing of Swiss Elgin grades and their equivalent Swiss movement calibres, please view our Swiss Elgin page.
Elgin Watch Cases: Illinois Watch Case Company
The Illinois Watch Case Company of Elgin, Illinois should not be confused with the Elgin Watch Company. The Illinois Watch Case Company (I.W.C.Co) was a major manufacture in the city of Elgin, Illinois. It manufactured watch cases under many brands, such as 'Elgin Giant,' 'Elgin Pride,' 'Tivoli,' 'Spartan,' and 'Elgin Commander.' The use of the name 'Elgin' in their brand names, or marking the cases with 'Elgin USA' has often led people to believe that a watch was made by the Elgin National Watch Company when it was actually made by another manufacturer, or to think that a watch no longer has its original case because it is 'now in an Elgin case.' Keep in mind that watch movements and watch cases were usually made by different manufacturers. Elgin watches are entirely different than Illinois 'Elgin' cases.
Modern Battery-Powered 'Elgin' Watches
The Elgin National Watch Company went out of business in 1964. They never made any battery-powered, quartz watches. If you have a recently-purchased, modern Elgin watch, please see our Modern Elgin Watch page for more information.
SPONSORED ADVERTISEMENTS
Elgin National Watch Company
Total Production: Approx. 55 Million Watches
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1867 | 9000 |
| 1868 | 25,001 |
| 1869 | 40,001 |
| 1870 | 50,001 |
| 1871 | 185,001 |
| 1872 | 201,001 |
| 1873 | 325,001 |
| 1874 | 400,001 |
| 1875 | 430,000 |
| 1876 | 480,000 |
| 1877 | 520,000 |
| 1878 | 570,000 |
| 1879 | 625,001 |
| 1880 | 750,000 |
| 1881 | 900,000 |
| 1882 | 1,000,000 |
| 1883 | 1,250,000 |
| 1884 | 1,500,000 |
| 1885 | 1,855,001 |
| 1886 | 2,000,000 |
| 1887 | 2,500,000 |
| 1888 | 3,000,000 |
| 1889 | 3,500,000 |
| 1890 | 4,000,000 |
| 1891 | 4,449,001 |
| 1892 | 4,600,000 |
| 1893 | 5,000,000 |
| 1894 | 5,500,000 |
| 1895 | 6,000,000 |
| 1896 | 6,500,000 |
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1897 | 7,000,000 |
| 1898 | 7,494,001 |
| 1899 | 8,000,000 |
| 1900 | 9,000,000 |
| 1901 | 9,300,000 |
| 1902 | 9,600,000 |
| 1903 | 10,000,000 |
| 1904 | 11,000,000 |
| 1905 | 12,000,000 |
| 1906 | 12,500,000 |
| 1907 | 13,000,000 |
| 1908 | 13,500,000 |
| 1909 | 14,000,000 |
| 1910 | 15,000,000 |
| 1911 | 16,000,000 |
| 1912 | 17,000,000 |
| 1913 | 17,339,001 |
| 1914 | 18,000,000 |
| 1915 | 18,587,001 |
| 1916 | 19,000,000 |
| 1917 | 20,031,001 |
| 1918 | 21,000,000 |
| 1919 | 22,000,000 |
| 1920 | 23,000,000 |
| 1921 | 24,321,001 |
| 1922 | 25,100,000 |
| 1923 | 26,050,000 |
| 1924 | 27,000,000 |
| 1925 | 28,421,001 |
| 1926 | 29,100,000 |
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1927 | 30,050,000 |
| 1928 | 31,599,100 |
| 1929 | 32,000,000 |
| 1930 | 32,599,001 |
| 1931 | 33,000,000 |
| 1932 | 33,700,000 |
| 1933 | 34,558,001 |
| 1934 | 35,000,000 |
| 1935 | 35,650,000 |
| 1936 | 36,200,000 |
| 1937 | 36,978,001 |
| 1938 | 37,900,000 |
| 1939 | 38,200,000 |
| 1940 | 39,100,000 |
| 1941 | 40,200,000 |
| 1942 | 41,100,000 |
| 1943 | 42,200,000 |
| 1944 | 42,600,000 |
| 1945 | 43,200,000 |
| 1946 | 44,000,000 |
| 1947 | 45,000,000 |
| 1948 | 46,000,000 |
| 1949 | 47,000,000 |
| 1950 | 48,000,000 |
| 1951 | 50,000,000 |
| 1952 | 52,000,000 |
| 1953 | 53,500,000 |
| 1954 | 54,000,000 |
| 1955 | 54,500,000 |
| 1956 | 55,000,000 |
Be sure to use the serial number on the movement (the works) of the watch. Do not use the serial number from the watch case.
Can't find your serial number in the table? Click here for an explanation and example of how to use our serial number tables.
Need help finding the serial number on your watch? Click here for instructions on how to identify and open most common case types.
How to get rid of stagefright virus prank. In the 1930s, Elgin began using a single-letter prefix to replace the 'millions' digits on their serial numbers. So if your Elgin watch has a serial number starting with a letter, you must determine the millions digits from the table below in order to determine the full serial number.
| Letter | Millions Digits |
|---|---|
| X | 38 or 39 |
| C, E, T or Y | 42 |
| L | 43 |
| U | 44 |
| J | 45 |
| V | 46 |
| H | 47 |
| N | 48 |
| F | 49 |
| S | 50 |
| R | 51 |
| P | 52 |
| K | 53 |
| I | 54 |
At Renaissance Watch Repair, we are experts in the repair and restoration of vintage watches made by the Elgin National Watch Company. Please contact us if you have any questions about the repair of your Elgin watch.
Instructions for using our serial number look-up tables
This page contains INSTRUCTIONS for using the serial number look-up tables that are found on many of our watch company history pages. The example below uses information from the American Waltham Watch Company, but that is just an example. You should consult the serial number table for the specific brand of watch movement you are trying to date by selecting a company from the menu on the left.
Not all vintage watches can be dated using the serial number. Some American watch brands did not use a consistent series of serial numbers, but most of the big manufacturers did. Most vintage Swiss pocket watches did NOT have serial numbers and can't be dated by this method.
Can't find YOUR exact serial number in our lookup tables?
Many watch companies made hundreds of thousands of watches, and some companies made millions of watches! It would be impractical to list the individual serial numbers of EVERY watch made.. that would make some really long pages! Our serial number tables list RANGES of serial numbers. So to determine when your watch was manufactured, you will need to find where your serial number fits within the range of numbers.
Serial number look-up example:
Let's say you have a Waltham watch with serial number 21,607,210 as shown in the photo below. Note that we're using the serial number from the watch movement, not from the watch case. Looking at the table of Waltham serial numbers (see example below), you can see that number 20,900,000 was made in 1917 and 21,800,000 was made in 1918 (marked in red in the table below). Since your serial number falls between those two numbers, you know that your watch was made in 1917 or 1918.
Not sure which serial number to use?
You must use the serial number from the MOVEMENT of the watch.. the working part with the wheels and gears.. not the serial number from the watch case. Cases and watches were often made by different companies and each usually has its own serial number. You usually have to take the back off the watch case to see the movement serial number which may appear anywhere on the watch movement.
Use the movement serial number. Do NOT use the case serial number!
This is an example only. Your movement serial number may not be in exactly the same location as the one in the photo, but you are looking for the serial number that is on the watch mechanism itself.. not the serial number on the external case.
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1852 | 50 |
| 1853 | 400 |
| 1854 | 1000 |
| 1855 | 2500 |
| 1856 | 4000 |
| 1857 | 6000 |
| 1858 | 10,000 |
| 1859 | 15,000 |
| 1860 | 20,000 |
| 1861 | 30,000 |
| 1862 | 45,000 |
| 1863 | 65,000 |
| 1864 | 110,000 |
| 1865 | 180,000 |
| 1866 | 260,000 |
| 1867 | 330,000 |
| 1868 | 410,000 |
| 1869 | 460,000 |
| 1870 | 500,000 |
| 1871 | 540,000 |
| 1872 | 590,000 |
| 1873 | 680,000 |
| 1874 | 730,000 |
| 1875 | 810,000 |
| 1876 | 910,000 |
| 1877 | 1,000,000 |
| 1878 | 1,150,000 |
| 1879 | 1,350,000 |
| 1880 | 1,500,000 |
| 1881 | 1,670,000 |
| 1882 | 1,835,000 |
| 1883 | 2,000,000 |
| 1884 | 2,350,000 |
| 1885 | 2,650,000 |
| 1886 | 3,000,000 |
| 1887 | 3,400,000 |
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 3,800,000 |
| 1889 | 4,200,000 |
| 1890 | 4,700,000 |
| 1891 | 5,200,000 |
| 1892 | 5,800,000 |
| 1893 | 6,300,000 |
| 1894 | 6,700,000 |
| 1895 | 7,100,000 |
| 1896 | 7,450,000 |
| 1897 | 8,100,000 |
| 1898 | 8,400,000 |
| 1899 | 9,000,000 |
| 1900 | 9,500,000 |
| 1901 | 10,200,000 |
| 1902 | 11,100,000 |
| 1903 | 12,100,000 |
| 1904 | 13,500,000 |
| 1905 | 14,300,000 |
| 1906 | 14,700,000 |
| 1907 | 15,500,000 |
| 1908 | 16,400,000 |
| 1909 | 17,600,000 |
| 1910 | 17,900,000 |
| 1911 | 18,100,000 |
| 1912 | 18,200,000 |
| 1913 | 18,900,000 |
| 1914 | 19,500,000 |
| 1915 | 20,000,000 |
| 1916 | 20,500,000 |
| 1917 | 20,900,000 |
| 1918 | 21,800,000 |
| 1919 | 22,500,000 |
| 1920 | 23,400,000 |
| 1921 | 23,900,000 |
| 1922 | 24,100,000 |
| 1923 | 24,300,000 |
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1924 | 24,550,000 |
| 1925 | 24,800,000 |
| 1926 | 25,200,000 |
| 1927 | 26,100,000 |
| 1928 | 26,400,000 |
| 1929 | 26,900,000 |
| 1930 | 27,100,000 |
| 1931 | 27,300,000 |
| 1932 | 27,550,000 |
| 1933 | 27,750,000 |
| 1934 | 28,100,000 |
| 1935 | 28,600,000 |
| 1936 | 29,100,000 |
| 1937 | 29,400,000 |
| 1938 | 29,750,000 |
| 1939 | 30,050,000 |
| 1940 | 30,250,000 |
| 1941 | 30,750,000 |
| 1942 | 31,050,000 |
| 1943 | 31,400,000 |
| 1944 | 31,700,000 |
| 1945 | 32,100,000 |
| 1946 | 32,350,000 |
| 1947 | 32,750,000 |
| 1948 | 33,100,000 |
| 1949 | 33,500,000 |
| 1950 | 33,560,000 |
| 1951 | 33,600,000 |
| 1952 | 33,700,000 |
| 1953 | 33,800,000 |
| 1954 | 34,100,000 |
| 1955 | 34,450,000 |
| 1956 | 34,700,000 |
| 1957 | 35,000,000 |
| - | - |
| - | - |
This is an example using the Waltham serial number table. Be sure to use the table that is specific
to YOUR brand of watch when looking up your serial number.
Elgin Antique Pocket Watch Values
Be sure to use the serial number on the watch movement (the mechanism).
Do not use the serial number from the watch case. Bamboo mte 450 software.
