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1919 Rare Small Font Dial Elgin "Foch" Hermetic, Solid Nickel, Stunning

Name: 1919 Rare Small Font Dial Elgin "Foch" Hermetic, Solid Nickel, Stunning
Brand: Elgin
Rating: 5 (3 reviews)

$1,351List Price

About the Item

If you look up fun, rare and survivor, you might find this watch pictured. A 1916 Elgin “Black Star Series". This is dated to the correct period. So often you will find redials. What does that mean? You will find an Elgin Black Dial that has been married to a 3/0 movement from 1928, that is not correct. The Elgin star series only came out for approximately 3 years. Let’s talk about this specific World War 1 Trench. For collectors you might want to read this as it is a coveted piece to own. 1) It has a very hard to source “Hermetic” case, this men’s the bezel and case back unscrew on and off, they were far more expensive to manufacturer, and it was better and keeping the elements out of the movement 2) The rare dial configuration, read below to understand why it is so special 3) Case material is “Nickel” this is not common, sterling silver a variation of silverrode were the most common 4) This case has been designed with a heavy-duty lugs for strength and durability in the trenches 5) I have elected to use a slightly different second hand so you can see it in motion. 6) Beautiful “Pumpkin: crown that beautifully accents the finished product 7) Stunning case condition for 100 years old, it does have some tiny nibbles as you would have if you were that seasoned. The Dial Story Elgin had several different styles of the "Star Dial" including the "White Star Dial" which came in out in 1917 before the "Black Star Dial". The white dials were only available in metal, not in enamel. The black dials were only available in enamel, not in metal. This white dial is much harder to come by as far fewer of these were manufactured compared to the black dials. Of the Black dials, the one that I am showing here is by far the rarest. The "Star Dial Series" began in production in November of 1917 and ended in June of 1920. The white dials came out before the black dials. The 2 white dials were only made in metal; these were never produced as enamel dials. The small font black enamel dial in the middle came out in May of 1918 but it saw a pretty short run of only about 3 months! The US Army did not like the small font so Elgin made it bigger for them in July of 1918, so this was the 4th dial in the series, the large font black star dial. This is what I am selling. Call it a limited edition. The Elgin “Star Series, Let me clear up the confusion. Not all Elgin black star dial watches are called a "Pershing", this is a very common mistake by the general public. The name "Pershing" was given to a very specific style of this watch in February 1919. If you want to get VERY technical a "Pershing" has a cushion case design with spring bar lugs, NOT a round trench watch case design. If it has a round trench watch case design and the movement dates back to before February 1918 its proper name is an "Elgin Black Star Dial Trench Watch". In February of 1918 this exact same round case design was given the name "Foch". The third in this series was called the "Kitchener" and it had a squared trench watch case design with rounded corners, also given its name in February of 1919. These three designs were the most popular of their time so only these three designs were named but other case styles were certainly available. All three were available in Nickel, Gold Filled and Sterling Silver. The dial has a great story. The stars on the dial represent the 48 states at the time, two state are missing (who are they) Brand new in 1916 the prices ranged from $15.50 up to $31.00 depending on the case material! Elgin had several different styles of the "Star Dial" including the "White Star Dial" which came in out in 1917 before the "Black Star Dial". 1916 that is 104 years ago. This watch dates to 1916 This is a sublime offering. Every part of the watch has been touched for sale., The case, movement, crystal, new mainspring to ensure reliability crown, and the watch dial was gently cleaned as well., A note about my passion for vintage watch restoration. I try to source original parts from the correct periods. It can take me months to bring a watch to market. I have seen many watch shops put a movement that dates from 1930 into a “Trench Watch” and list it as such. I can’t do that. My moral compass does not allow me to and not provide full disclosure. I have listed vintage watches with movements that don’t match the period, but I disclose that in the listing. This watch has had a comprehensive tear down service What is a “Trench Watch” They often have some of the following characteristics: Fixed or Wire Lug: No traditional spring bar attachment as found in today’s watches. World War1 for those history buffs was from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. What are World War 1 or Trench watches? They were created using 3/0 and 0 size pocket watch movements and installing into watch cases that were meant to worn on the wrist. it is not uncommon to find movement dates that are slightly different. It would not be okay to call a watch period correct to have a movement that is dated in 1928 with a WW1 dial and case. They often have some of the following characteristics: *For more practical purposes, a special alloy was developed which went by several different names, such as, "Silveroid, Silverore, Silverode or Silverine. "Silveroid" appears to have become the standard name for this metal that consisted of 45% nickel, 54% copper and 1% manganese. This metal was fairly hard wearing and could withstand the rigors of everyday use, for instance on the Railroads. Case Manufactures: There were many case manufacturers that made cases for Trench Watches. Some of the more well know were: Depollier and Sons, Dennison (English Manufacturer) Illinois (not affiliated with the Illinois Watch Company) Depollier and Sons, Wadsworth, Fahys, Philadelphia, Fortune and many more This is a very hard to find offset Philadelphia silverode case. Read above for the description of “Silverode”. The offset cases are very hard to find, especially in this case condition. This is a 3/0 size with a freshly service very hard to find 15 jewel movement. It is very accurate, within 1-2 minutes a day. It has a new mainspring as well. 32.50MM Across the case 37.20MM Across with crown The case has been high polished by hand using Simichrome polish, it is amazing at cleaning the years off and it helps retard the oxidation that occurs with the combination of nickel / silver! The original hands are present. To me the crown jewel of this case is the oversized crown. This case design or similar designs were for the gloved service personnel to be able to wind and set the watch. It finishes out the period look. It truly is one of my favorite WW1 watches! Lug Size 10 MM Lug Design. The watch is fitted with a brand new 14MM black “Oily Leather” open ended leather band with a stainless steel tang buckle, trying to keep the originality Grade: 462 Manufacturer: Elgin Manufacturer Location: Elgin, Illinois Movement Serial Number: 21081956 Grade: 462 Model: 2 Estimated Production Year: 1919 Run Quantity: 10,000 Grade/Model Run: 5 of 133 Total Production: 997,000 Size: 3/0s Jewels: 7j Movement Configuration: Hunting Movement Finish: Nickel Movement Setting: Pendant Plate: 3/4 Plate Double Roller: Yes I have been selling in various arenas for the last couple of years. I pride myself in offer above average condition vintage watches. Please keep in mind that these are vintage watches. In some case close to 100 years old. Prudent judgement must be used when wearing them. If you have an issue with one of my watches, contact me. If you need additional information to make an educated decision, contact me. If you need additional pictures, contact me. I know this is high price. If you review carefully all the attributes of this watch, you will come to the same conclusion, you will realize this watch is very special!

Creator:
Elgin
Strap Material:
Leather
Case Shape:
Round
Case Dimensions:
Height: 0.36 in (9 mm)Width: 1.26 in (32 mm)Diameter: 1.26 in (32 mm)
Style:
Art Deco
Place of Origin:
North America
Period:
1910-1919
Date of Manufacture:
1919
Condition:
Repaired: Total Tear Down Service New Crystal New Watch Band Case Was Hand Polished ( To prevent over polishing) New Mainspring. Replacements made: Crystal Band. Polished. Minor losses. Rare Small Font Black Dial from WW1.
Seller Location:
Raleigh, NC
Reference Number:
Seller: Elgin Foch1stDibs: LU3149217489862

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