Lord Elgin 1947 – Watch space

The main reason I collect vintage watches is simply because of their look. And yes, generally they are smaller than today, but not to be confused with ladies models, which when these were produced were very much smaller. But that doesn’t mean they look feminine on a gent’s wrist, not at all, but it does mean that they are amazingly comfortable and to my mind, look great.

Take this 1947 Lord Elgin, which is not quite as old as I am, but at 76 years old it is still working perfectly, keeps reasonable time and has a power reserve that lasts easily from day to day.

This model has the 21 jewel Cal. 670 manual wind movement, adjusted to 3 positions.

It has a lovely copper dial with gold hour and minute hands, plus a sub-seconds dial @6 also with a gold seconds pointer. A minute index is nicely configured around the dial and the detail is really very good indeed.

This model also has wonderful fully articulated “fancy” lugs (a cute and correct quaint term of the day) with nice engraved work at the case ends. The watch is in a Wandsworth Gold Filled case and the entire look is excellent, as is the condition.

Note the “adjusted in 3 positions” – this means that when produced, it actually had an accuracy goal right from the start.
Many watches are not adjusted at all for accuracy, but for these vintage watches it was a good thing. Different levels of accuracies could be graded, such as 2 positions or 5 positions and this means simply that the watch was tested (duh!) in different positions, such as crown down, crown up and so on. Because wearing on a wrist, the watch ends up in many different positions, so it shows an attempt has been made right from the start, to minimise inaccuracy from a positional point of view at least.

There are actually two other main factors affecting accuracy, such as temperature and then the mainspring effect, or “isochronism”, which is caused by the spring unwinding as it runs. For example it might be 2 or 3 seconds fast in the morning, but later in the day maybe 3 or 4 times that. So to try and regulate that “rate” is another way of improving accuracy.

But this watch at least has had some positional adjustments carried out, which is a good indicator of decent quality movement wise.

However, the main point of this Post is much more basic.

I simply wanted to show how good a true vintage sized watch can look on a gents wrist (the gent being me!) 😉 and I think it looks great and it wears great, which was and is still the main reason for my vintage watch collecting.

Note – The dimensions of the watch are 21mm across (add 1mm for the crown) x 45mm total lug to lug including articulation (the case is actually 27mm lug to lug) and the curved case is approximately 7mm thickness including the high domed crystal, which is a feature on many vintage watches of this period.

I’m going to do a few more of the vintage watch Posts, since I re-organised my watch storage ideas recently. I have a pile of leather strapped models waiting to be re-located in new cabinets and I’m cataloguing them too, so they are to hand.

My second Auction purchase is this 1947 vintage Lord Elgin model. A 3 position adjusted 21 jewel Cal. 670 manual wind movement which is fully signed and working beautifully, keeping excellent time. Not bad for a watch that’s 70 years old.

Lord Elgin 1947/50 21 jewel articulated Gants watch — Lord Elgin 1947/50 21 jewel articulated Gents watch

This model has articulated lugs, a feature I’ve always admired (in fact I have a few modern watches with this) and these are particularly nice. The dial here is Cognac coloured with black Roman numerals and a subsidiary Seconds dial, with gold hands. The Swiss Made script I expected at the foot of the dial is hidden and actually covered over by a coloured slick of paint, so I assume this dial has been refinished at some point in it’s life – the paint used maybe to protect the Swiss text. Whatever, it was very well done and as the dial is really good I’m certainly not about to fiddle around with it. It is what it is . . . .

Neat articulated lugs, snap fit back in A1 condition.

The case is in great condition, 14K Gold Filled and no marks or rubbing at all. The back is similar and is a very definite snap fit. The high domed glass is perfect and overall the watch looks great. The strap is an after market leather one which is absolutely fine and obviously new. I like the upper and lower case decoration, it’s nicely figured and well done and lifts the watch somewhat from the more usual square faced models I’ve seen.

The watch dimensions are 22 mm wide and with the hinged lug design it means the lug to lug is nearly 46 mm, so when on the wrist this watch looks perfect for today. On the wrist it looks bigger than you would think.

On the wrist looks bigger than it is owing to the extended hinged lug arrangement.

I’ve always liked Lord Elgin and in fact Elgin watches in general as they were very well priced in their day, affordable and great value for money. And in saying this, it is gratifying to see that you can pick up a model today such as this for under £40 at auction, which when you consider the style and the fact that this watch works well, is accurate, doesn’t need a battery, looks good and has already lasted 70 years or so – it really can’t be bad!

One of the reasons perhaps why I buy vintage watches. The other is that I like the look of them. They often have a style and elegance that seems to be missing from the majority of models offered these days AND of course I wear them. They are not solely confined to a display cabinet or box, because I wear them all in rotation and they all must function. I mean that’s what they were made for in the first place and never intended as inanimate objects, but real-time recorders of time.
I have in my collection a few models that I suppose are true vintage in that they are pre’ 1900 and I always make a point of wearing them often, despite the fact that shock suppression wasn’t the best if there at all.
Let’s face it, it didn’t stop people wearing them then, so why should it now? I usually find in these really old models a certain mechanical quality that’s often so good, that a well looked after watch that’s been around maybe 100/150+ years or so hardly diminishes at all – and I like that!