Antique Elgin WW1 Military Offset Crown

• Overall Condition: Fair, overall condition for its age.

• Functions: Running, but may be in need of service. This means, it can run unreliably, start or stop and timekeeping is not guaranteed. Fast 39 Seconds a Day, Amplitude 210, Beat Error 0.3

• Case: There are dents and wear on the case.

• Crystal: There are scratches on the crystal.

• Dial: The dial is in good condition.

• Hands: There is discoloration on the hands.

• Band: The band is not original.

• Additional Information: Elgin "trench watches" of 1918 were created to address the need for a practical timepiece on the front lines of World War I. Prior to the war, pocket watches were standard for men, but in-the-moment trench warfare made using them impractical. These early wristwatches were an American invention born of necessity, created by adding soldered-on wire lugs to standard pocket watches, enabling them to be worn on the wrist. The 1918 model was a popular choice for soldiers, and variations were also marketed to the public as "victory watches" after the war ended.

About the brand: First founded in 1864 as the National Watch Company, Elgin watches were produced out of Elgin, Illinois at the world's largest dedicated watch production facility of the time. By 1910 - Elgin had built an observatory to help with the accuracy of their timepieces. Like most watch manufacturers, Elgin moved to defense production during the second World War and produced military issue watches such as the well known Elgin A-11. After the war, production of Elgin watches slowed and they transferred production to South Carolina. As the influx of Swiss watches came into the market, the Elgin brand sold its entities in 1968, and the name rights of the company were subsequently re-sold in the following years. Although the Elgin National Watch Company no longer exists, their impact on American watch making is seen through their large catalog of excellent vintage watches.