Elgin Pocket Watch

Hello Christina,
Thank you for sending in your pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. Also, thanks for sending in the photo of the movement, which means I will be able to provide you with more accurate information about the pocket watch. I shall try to help you with that tonight.
TITLE:
Art Nouveau, gold-filled, 6-size, pendant wound and pendant set, savonette, hunting case pocket watch, Grade 286, model 2, made by the Elgin National Watch Company, Elgin, Illinois, circa 1905.
DESCRIPTION:
Case: 37.5mm diameter, Size 6, four leaf, gold filled hunting case pocket watch with a suppressed ball fluted pendant and bow placed at the three position (savonette) opposite the case hinge. The outer covers are engine turned and engraved with birds and foliage, with one cover having a polished gilt area for the owner’s initials (left blank). These designs are very much in the style of the Art Nouveau era of c. 1880-1910. Art Nouveau stressed the wonderful forms of nature, both flora and fauna. The inside of one of the covers has a case number 6869753, but no marks of the casemaker, nor of solid gold hallmarks.
Dial: A white enameled dial with Roman hours, open bar minutes, sunken subsidiary seconds dial @6, and the dial center marked ‘Elgin’ with steel American “Spade” hands. . .
Movement: This is a size 6, damascene decorated, nickel, split three quarter plate movement, the Grade 286, model 2, class 115 movement made by the Elgin National Watch Company of Elgin, Illinois. It carries the serial number 11042708, indicating it was made in 1905 in a production run of 3000 such movements, each with seven jewels (rubies), going barrel, bimetallic balance wheel for temperature compensation, quick train, Breguet hairspring, plain index regulator, no adjustments for position of the watch and properly signed and numbered by Elgin. Such movements were placed into hunting cases, the majority gold-filled with several models made in solid 14k yellow gold.
Condition: Case – In excellent condition with superb cover designs. Dial is very good but has scattered areas with specks of dirt/grime throughout. No dial fractures seen. Movement – Excellent condition and considered functional.
COMPARABLES:
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/84855645_vintage-elgin-pocket-watch (sold for $345 in 2020).
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/69298784_elgin-model-1-pocket-watch (sold for $100 in 2019)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/71059180_elgin-pocket-watch (sold for $250 in 2019)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/79836367_1888-elgin-11-jewel-hunting-case-pocket-watch (sold for $120 in 2020)
HISTORY:
Elgin History: The Elgin National Watch Company was founded in 1864 in Elgin, Illinois as the National Watch Company. In 1874 the name was changed to the Elgin National Watch Company. Between 1864 and sometime in the 1960s, Elgin manufactured tens of millions of pocket and wrist watches. The Elgin National Watch Company was for a time, one of the largest industrial concerns in the world. Elgin pocket watches from the early years are particularly interesting because of the methods and philosophy of the Elgin Company. Elgin used what were at the time quite advanced tools, techniques and labor practices to achieve a very high quality product, in high volumes, at a relatively affordable price. Elgin watches were created using mechanized, repeatable processes, organized quality control and standardized, interchangeable, parts. These things are all common practices in industry today, but not so at that time. The result was a product of high quality made in large quantities that dwarfed that of Elgin's competitors. Prior to Elgin's time, watches were made completely by hand, frequently by a single craftsman, from start to finish. Repairs could only be completed on such watches by someone with sufficient skill to fabricate replacement parts, from scratch, from raw material. Elgin watches on the other hand, were mass manufactured and highly standardized. Spare parts were provided by Elgin that were drop-in replacements for the originals. Elgin was extremely successful with this strategy. In fact, the company introduced more than half the watches made in America from 1920-1928. An Elgin advertisement in 1928 claimed that there were more than 14,418 retail jewelers in the United States and all but 12 carried Elgin.
PRICING:
As for most watches, both pocket watches and wrist watches, there has been a weakening market over the past dozen years or more. I have seen their fair market value drop by about 65% over the past 20 years. The fair market value of your example, in a gold filled case, even in the very good overall condition it is in, will range from $150-$200 if offered for sale today. The same watch in 14k solid gold would be 2-3 times that.
I hope this was of some help to you in understanding this particular pocket watch. Thank you for choosing mearto.com for your appraisal.
My best,
David

Dear Christina,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry. So that I may best assist you, can you please upload a good quality image of the movement.
The #6869753 you found inside the case cover is NOT the serial number of the watch. That would be found on the movement itself.
Please let me know if you are able to open the cover over the movement or not
Thanks,
David