1892 Elgin Gold Plated Case Hunter Pocket Watch
ProbableCredible evidence exists but classification is not fully established.
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1892
Maker / issuer
Elgin National Watch CompanyThis antique pocket watch attributed to the Elgin National Watch Company features a gold-plated hunter case with a hinged front cover and reeded coin edge. The white porcelain dial displays black Roman numeral hour markers, an outer track, and a subsidiary seconds subdial at the 6 o'clock position.
The dial bears the script signature 'Elgin Natl Watch Co.'. The auction house reports a case diameter of 50 mm, an interior case engraving of '898668', and a movement engraved 'No. 4775427' alongside 'Elgin Natl Watch Co'.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Hunter pocket watch
- Maker
- Elgin National Watch Company
- Case Number
- 898668
- Case Diameter
- 50mm
- Dial Material
- Porcelain
- Place recorded
- United States
- Movement Serial
- 4775427
- Maker / attribution
- Elgin National Watch Company
Design
- Visible features
- • Hinged hunter case lid opened revealing a white porcelain dial with Roman numerals. • Dial is signed in black script 'Elgin Natl Watch Co.'. • Subsidiary seconds dial positioned at the 6 o'clock mark with Arabic numerals. • Winding crown and bow located at the 3 o'clock position relative to the dial. • Coin-edge reeding along the outer circumference of the case band.
- Dial and External Presentation
- The pocket watch displays a white porcelain dial configured with black Roman numeral hour markers and a dedicated subsidiary seconds track with Arabic numerals positioned at the 6 o'clock mark. Despite the auction catalog's transcription stating the dial reads 'Elgin Watch Co', photographic evidence shows the porcelain surface is signed in script as 'Elgin Natl Watch Co.'. The dial is housed in a hunter configuration where the winding crown and bow are set at the 3 o'clock position. The exterior case band features fine coin-edge reeding along its outer circumference, framing the hinged front cover mechanism.
- Reported Movement and Mechanical Caveats
- The internal mechanism is not shown in available imagery, leaving its technical layout, jewel count, and grade unverified by visual record. All movement details rely entirely on source reporting, which notes inscriptions reading 'No. 4775427' and 'Elgin Natl Watch Co' on the movement plates. The catalog entry provides contradictory operational statements, remarking that the piece 'needs serviced' while also asserting that the 'stopwatch works'. Given that the piece presents as a conventional time-only watch with a subsidiary seconds dial rather than a chronograph complication, this function note represents an apparent cataloguing discrepancy. The auction house further clarifies that the movement was neither tested for timing accuracy nor power reserve duration.
- Case Specifications and Reported Markings
- The auctioneer identifies the piece as an antique gold-plated hunter case pocket watch with an overall case diameter measuring 50 mm. The interior of the case is reported to feature an engraved numerical marking of '898668'. While catalog descriptions note 'engraved detailing' consistent with late 19th-century American pocket watches, the provided documentation focuses primarily on the opened front view of the dial assembly.
Identification
- Serial number
- 4775427
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The auction text incorrectly claims the dial is marked 'Elgin Watch Co', whereas the photograph clearly shows 'Elgin Natl Watch Co.'.
- Research required: Movement is unpictured; movement serial number and signature rely entirely on the auctioneer's catalog description.
- Research required: The catalog statement that the 'stopwatch works' appears to be an error by the cataloguer, as the item is a standard time-only pocket watch with a subsidiary seconds hand rather than a chronograph.