Elgin watch factories

 

Main Factory: Elgin, Illinois

• Location: Just northwest of Chicago

• Opened: 1867

• Closed: 1964

• Facility: At its peak, the Elgin National Watch Company operated the largest watch manufacturing complex in the world, with over 500,000 square feet of floor space and employing thousands of workers.

• Specialty: Produced pocket watches, wristwatches, and watch movements. Known for mass-producing reliable, affordable timepieces using American engineering.

Other Notable Facilities:

1. Lincoln, Nebraska

   • Timeframe: Brief post-WWII period

   • Purpose: Housed some production and administrative functions during the company's later years, particularly after the Elgin, Illinois factory closed.

2. Elgin Watch College (Elgin, Illinois)

   • Established: 1920s

   • Purpose: Trained watchmakers and technicians; located near the main factory.

3. South Carolina (Post-Elgin National Watch Company era)

   • In the 1960s, after closing its Illinois operations, the company briefly attempted to move assembly operations to South Carolina. This period marked the decline of American-made Elgin watches, with more components being imported.

 After the Factory Era:

After the Elgin factory shut down in 1964, the "Elgin" name was sold and used by other companies. Watches bearing the Elgin name after that point were not made in the original Illinois factory and were often imported or assembled from foreign parts.