Elgin Lord Elgin Direct Read / Jump Hour Watches (1950s–1960s)

 

Elgin Lord Elgin Direct Read / Jump Hour watches are some of the coolest and most collectible pieces Elgin ever made, thanks to their futuristic design and mechanical ingenuity. Here’s a deeper dive:

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Overview
The Elgin Direct Read (sometimes called “Jump Hour” or “Digital Mechanical”) was Elgin’s answer to the mid-century fascination with space-age design and technology. Instead of traditional hands, these watches display the time using rotating discs visible through small windows on the dial.

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History & Era

• Produced: Mid-to-late 1950s through the 1960s.

• Market Position: Part of the Lord Elgin line, which was Elgin’s premium collection with higher-grade movements and stylish cases.

• Design Influence: Postwar optimism, the space race, and the growing trend for “modernist” watch design — these were marketed as futuristic and innovative.

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 How It Works

• Hour Disc: Jumps forward every hour (hence “jump hour”) rather than sweeping continuously.

• Minute Disc: Rotates gradually, displaying minutes in a linear fashion.

• Seconds: Some versions include a third disc for seconds, while others omit it for a cleaner look.

• Movement: High-grade 21-jewel or 23-jewel Elgin manual-wind movements, adjusted for accuracy.

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Design & Variants

• Cases: Usually gold-filled or 14k solid gold; cushion, tonneau, or rectangular shapes were common.

• Dials: Minimalist, with windows for hours, minutes, and sometimes seconds.

• Straps: Typically leather, although some came with period-correct bracelets.

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Collectibility

• Rarity: Produced in relatively small numbers, and because many were worn daily, pristine examples are hard to find.

• Desirability: Collectors love them for their unique “retro-futuristic” look, making them conversation starters.

• Value: Prices have been climbing, especially for solid gold models or those in excellent cosmetic condition.

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Fun Fact:
These watches were part of a broader mid-century design trend — other brands like Hamilton (with the Ventura) and Bulova (with Accutron later on) also leaned into space-age styling, but Elgin’s Direct Read remains one of the most purely mechanical “digital” watches of the era.

Elgin’s early wristwatches- converted pocket watch movements

 Elgin’s first wristwatch was introduced around 1910–1912, during the early rise of wristwatches in the United States. Before that, Elgin had been almost entirely focused on pocket watches, which were the dominant style of personal timekeeping in the 19th century.

Elgin’s early wristwatches were essentially converted pocket watch movements (often ladies’ pendant watch movements) cased with wire lugs to be worn on the wrist. These early pieces were marketed primarily toward women—men still considered pocket watches more “proper” until World War I popularized the wristwatch for soldiers.

By the mid-1910s, Elgin began producing purpose-built wristwatches with smaller, round movements and enamel dials, often in silver or gold-filled cases. These set the stage for Elgin’s more refined wristwatch lines of the 1920s and 1930s, including their popular “Lord Elgin” dress watches and military-issued models.

James Dean’s Elgin watch was a pocket watch with an Illinois movement

 James Dean’s Elgin watch was a pocket watch with an Illinois movement (Elgin acquired Illinois Watch Company in the late 1920s) that he is said to have carried regularly. His association with Elgin added a cool, rebellious aura to the brand, aligning with Dean’s iconic image as a symbol of youthful independence.

Vintage 1930's Elgin C.H. Hulburd 18KT White Gold Pocket Watch

 Vintage 1930's Elgin C.H. Hulburd 18KT White Gold Pocket Watch

Elgin C.H. Hulburd 18k White Gold Pocket Watch (1930s)

Overview

• Model: C.H. Hulburd

• Era: 1920s–1930s

• Movement:

  • Ultra-thin, 12-size, 21-jewel movement

  • Adjusted to 5–6 positions for chronometer-grade accuracy

  • Beautifully finished with gold jewel settings, micrometric regulator, and damaskeening

• Case:

  • 18K solid white gold (also made in yellow gold and occasionally platinum)

  • Often engraved with Art Deco motifs

  • Hinged back and dust cover

• Dial:

  • Classic porcelain or silvered dial with Breguet or baton-style hands

  • Sub-seconds at 6 o’clock

• Style: Slim, elegant, Art Deco-era luxury pocket watch

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Why It’s Special

• Top of Elgin’s Line: This was the most prestigious watch Elgin ever made — named after company president Charles Hulburd.

• Hand-Finished: Each movement was hand-assembled and adjusted by Elgin’s master watchmakers.

• Luxury Materials: Almost always cased in solid 18K gold (white, yellow, or green).

• Scarce: Production numbers were low compared to standard Elgin pocket watches.

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Current Value (Market Range)

• Typical Range: $4,000 – $8,000

• High-End Examples: $10,000+ if:

  • Case is platinum or diamond-set

  • Original box & papers included

  • Movement is pristine and fully serviced

  • Dial and hands are original and flawless

At major auctions (Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Heritage), a pristine 1930s 18K white gold Hulburd has crossed the $12,000 mark, especially if it has historical provenance or presentation engraving.

Early Elgin Convertible Watches (1870s–1880s)

 Early Elgin Convertible Watches (1870s–1880s)

In the 1870s and 1880s, the Elgin National Watch Company produced 

specialized pocket watch movements known as "convertible" movements. This design innovation allowed a single movement to be fitted into either a hunter-style (closed face) or open-face watch case, offering flexibility for both jewelers and customers. 

Notable early convertible movements

Introduced in 1878, Elgin's first interchangeable, stem-wind, three-quarter plate movements were a novelty of the time. Early convertible movements from this period include: 

• Grade 86 (c. 1884)
  : This 16-size, 15-jewel movement was one of the popular models for conversion. It featured a three-finger bridge design and a unique lever-set mechanism for changing the time.
• Grade 93 (c. 1883)
  : This was an 11-jewel, gilt-finished movement in a 16-size. Its distinctive lever-setting device was deeper than other movements of the era, requiring cases made specifically for it. The setting mechanism featured a wheel that lifted to engage the hands.
• Rarity of complete watches: Since these movements were deeper, they often required special cases. While the movements themselves are not uncommon, a complete, original convertible watch in its designated case is a rare find today. 

Elgin A-11 “Watch That Won the War” (WWII, 1940s)

 Elgin A-11 “Watch That Won the War” (WWII, 1940s)

• Elgin A-11 is one of the most historically significant watches ever made in the U.S., and it has a fascinating story. Collectors call it “The Watch That Won the War” because of its critical role in World War II.

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  Overview

  • Produced: Early 1940s (WWII)

  • Manufacturers: Elgin, Waltham, and Bulova (Elgin produced a huge share)

  • Type: U.S. military specification wristwatch, officially designated A-11

  • Purpose: Issued to U.S. Army Air Forces, Navy aviators, and other service members — often pilots, navigators, and officers.

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  Design & Features

  • Case: 32–33 mm chrome-plated or stainless steel, snap-on case back

  • Dial: Matte black with white luminous numerals (radium paint), highly legible

  • Hands: White or blued-steel luminous hands

  • Movement: 15-jewel hand-wound Elgin movement (often caliber 539 or 554), hacking seconds (stops when you pull the crown to sync precisely)

  • Accuracy: Adjusted for military specifications — extremely precise for its time

  • Strap: Cotton or leather NATO-style strap for easy replacement in the field

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  Historical Importance

  • Worn by pilots and navigators in iconic aircraft like the B-17, P-51, and C-47.

  • Provided reliable, synchronized timekeeping critical for navigation, bombing runs, and troop coordination.

  • The A-11 became the standard-issue Allied military watch, with hundreds of thousands produced between 1941–1945.

  • Its “hacking” function was key: crews could all set their watches exactly the same before a mission.

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  Nickname: “The Watch That Won the War”

  This nickname comes from watch historians and military collectors who argue that precise, synchronized timing was a major factor in Allied success. The A-11’s reliability and mass availability gave U.S. forces an edge over Axis powers, where troops often lacked standardized, hacking wristwatches.

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  Collectibility & Value

  • Common but beloved: Because so many were made, A-11s are fairly available — but finding one in excellent, original condition is trickier.

  • Typical price range: $300 – $1,000 depending on originality, condition, and whether the movement still hacks properly.

  • Historical appeal: More valuable with original strap, box, or provenance (e.g., tied to a specific veteran).

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  In short:
  The Elgin A-11 is a no-frills, functional war watch that symbolizes American industrial might and ingenuity. It’s not fancy, but its role in WWII makes it one of the most historically important Elgin wristwatches — and one of the first truly “military-spec” wristwatches ever standardize

Elgin Observatory Watches (1890s–1900s)

 

Elgin Observatory Watches are some of the most fascinating and historically important timepieces Elgin ever produced. They represent the company’s commitment to precision science in an era when American watchmaking was competing head-to-head with Switzerland.

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 The Elgin National Watch Company Observatory

• Built in 1910 (though Elgin had been experimenting with astronomical methods earlier), the Elgin Observatory was located near the main factory in Elgin, Illinois.

• It housed a 12-inch Warner & Swasey refracting telescope and precision astronomical instruments to measure sidereal time.

• Purpose: to provide an independent, highly accurate time standard against which Elgin’s best watch movements could be rated.

• This was similar in concept to the Swiss observatory trials at Neuchâtel, Geneva, and Kew in England.

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Observatory-Grade Watches

• Not every Elgin watch was tested here — only the company’s highest-grade railroad, scientific, and presentation pieces.

• Many were B.W. Raymond, Veritas, and Father Time grades (19–23 jewel railroad standards).

• Elgin also made a few experimental observatory watches with extra-fine finishing and adjustments.

Features:

• High jewel counts (21–23 jewels).

• Adjusted to temperature, isochronism, and up to 6 positions.

• Some marked “Adjusted to Observatory Standards” or carried special serial number designations.

• Cases were often in gold or high-grade nickel.

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Certification & Prestige

• Watches successfully tested received observatory certification papers, proving their chronometric excellence.

• This gave Elgin a major marketing advantage, showing they could rival Swiss chronometers.

• Collectors often refer to these as Elgin Observatory Watches, though the official factory designation was simply high-grade watches “tested at the Observatory.”

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Collectibility & Value

• Surviving certified examples are rare and highly prized.

• Value depends on condition, jewel count, and whether original paperwork survives.

• With papers: can exceed $10,000+ at auction.

• Without papers: usually $2,000–$6,000 for top grades.

Rare Vintage Elgin "Elginium" Chronometers (WWII Navy Deck Watches)

 Elgin "Elginium" Chronometers (WWII Navy Deck Watches)

• Precision chronometers used on U.S. Navy ships, rivaled Hamilton’s deck watches.

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Elgin Hulburd Masterpiece Pocket Watch

 

Elgin Hulburd Masterpiece

• Made in the 1920s–30s as Elgin’s answer to Patek Philippe and Vacheron.

• Ultra-thin movement, often in platinum or 18k gold with hand engraving.

• These were presentation watches given to executives and dignitaries.

• The most valuable Elgins, they can exceed $20,000–$30,000 depending on case material and condition.

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