Elgin No. 239 Veritas Hairspring and Balance Assembly
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1902
Maker / issuer
Elgin National Watch CompanyThis horological component comprises the hairspring and balance assembly identified by the source as originating from an Elgin No. 239 Veritas pocket watch movement.
The source reports the parent movement as an 18-size, Model 8, 21-jewel mechanism bearing serial number 9348026 and dating to circa 1902. As visible in the photograph, the assembly incorporates a split bimetallic balance wheel fitted with threaded perimeter timing screws. Centered around the balance staff pivot is a blued steel hairspring formed with a raised Breguet overcoil terminal curve, pinned to a brass collet at the center and terminating at a hairspring stud.
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
- Balance and hairspring assembly
- Place recorded
- United States
- Hairspring Feature
- Breguet overcoil
- Maker / attribution
- Elgin National Watch Company
- Source Identification
- Hairspring and Balance from Elgin No. 239 Veritas – 18-Size, Model 8, 21 Jewels, c.1902, Serial No. 9348026
Design
- Visible features
- • Blued steel spiral hairspring with a clearly raised Breguet overcoil terminal curve. • Bimetallic compensation balance wheel with cuts through the rim and threaded timing screws along the perimeter. • Central steel balance staff pivot protruding through a slotted brass collet securing the innermost hairspring coil. • Outer coil terminated at a triangular hairspring stud. • Balance assembly resting unmounted on a textured brown surface.
- Reported Movement Identity and Provenance
- The component is documented by the source as a hairspring and balance originating from an Elgin No. 239 Veritas movement. The parent mechanism is reported as an 18-size, Model 8 grade equipped with 21 jewels. The source dates the host movement to circa 1902 and records the serial number 9348026. Because only the detached balance assembly is displayed without movement plates or movement markings, these specifications represent source-reported documentation rather than direct observations.
- Observed Construction and Regulating Elements
- Visual observation of the detached component shows a bimetallic compensation balance wheel characterized by cuts through the rim and threaded timing screws mounted along its outer perimeter. The regulating assembly includes a blued steel spiral hairspring with a raised Breguet overcoil terminal curve. At the center, the inner coil is pinned to a slotted brass collet around the balance staff pivot, while the outer coil terminates at a triangular hairspring stud.
- Historical Documentation Context and Limitations
- The source reproduces an excerpt from Elgin's 1901 promotional booklet, 'The Watch Word is Elgin: Timemakers and Timekeepers,' asserting that all hairsprings in the Veritas model featured a Breguet overcoil to prevent accidental quickening of the balance. The booklet text claims that each hairspring was individually formed and overcoiled after tempering and hardening rather than through a mechanical shaping process. The record is limited strictly to the solitary balance and hairspring assembly resting on a textured surface. Surrounding components—including the balance cock, jewel settings, escapement, and host movement plates—are neither pictured nor verifiable from this artifact alone.
Identification
- Reference
- No. 239 Veritas / Model 8
- Serial number
- 9348026
- 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: Only the detached balance and hairspring assembly is shown; the movement plates and remaining mechanism of serial 9348026 are not pictured.
- Research required: Movement grade, jewel count, and serial number are based on source documentation and cannot be independently confirmed from the balance assembly alone.