Vintage 1943 Elgin WWII Military Stainless Steel Field Watch

 

During World War II, Elgin National Watch Company of Elgin, Illinois, was one of the major suppliers of military watches for the U.S. Armed Forces. Production of civilian watches was largely halted between 1942 and 1945, as the factory was dedicated to war contracts—producing timepieces, chronometers, aircraft instruments, and precision timers for the U.S. Army and Navy.

By 1943, Elgin was producing a variety of field and navigation watches meeting military specifications such as ORD Dept. (Army Ordnance Department) and U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BUAER) requirements.