Elgin · 23 jewels · 12s · 1898–1912
Lord Elgin 23J Pocket Watch
Search for Lord Elgin and you'll mostly find wristwatches. The pocket watch is much rarer. In February 1898 Elgin introduced a pair of 12-size, 23-jewel movements, the hunting-case grade 190 and the open-face grade 194, pendant set and adjusted to temperature, isochronism and five positions. Some of them were engraved Lord Elgin. Pocket Watch Database counts about 4,000 grade 190s made through 1912 and 3,000 grade 194s through 1906, so there were only about 7,000 in all, and only part of them carry the name. That's 23 jewels, as many as Elgin's top railroad Veritas, in a 12-size dress watch. Expect to wait for one, and read every listing carefully, because the name in a title doesn't make it one of these.
Spec at a glance
- Maker
- Elgin
- Grade engraved
- Lord Elgin
- Family
- Lord Elgin
- Class
- High-grade dress
- Jewels
- 23 jewels
- Size
- 12s
- Adjusted
- 5 positions
- Setting
- Pendant set
- Era
- Golden Age (before 1920)
- Years made
- 1898–1912
The grade
What the Lord Elgin engraving tells you
The 190 is the hunting-case version on the Model 2, and the 194 is the open-face version on the Model 3. Both have 23 jewels, pendant setting and five-position adjustment, and neither was a railroad grade. Only some were engraved Lord Elgin, so a plain 12-size 23-jewel Elgin of the same grade is the same movement. Check the serial. A 190 runs from 7,412,001 to 16,342,000 and a 194 from 7,425,001 to 12,148,000.
What to check
Elgin also used the Lord Elgin name on wristwatches, so confirm the movement before anything else. Hunting cases wear at the hinge and the lid catch, and dials on these are often replaced.
- 01Movement: Ask the seller for a photo of the movement. It should show 23 jewels, and a true Lord Elgin is engraved with the name.
- 02Serial number: Read the serial off the movement, not the case. A grade 190 falls between 7,412,001 and 16,342,000, and a 194 between 7,425,001 and 12,148,000.
- 03Case style: Check the case in the photos. A hinged front lid with the crown at 3 means the 190, and an open face with the crown at 12 means the 194.
- 04Pendant setting: Ask the seller to confirm the hands set by pulling the crown out. There's no setting lever on these.
- 05Hinges: On a hunting case, ask for photos with the lid open and closed. The lid should sit flush and snap shut.
- 06Dial: Zoom in on the dial in the photos. The printing should be crisp, with no hairline cracks.
Find one on eBay
We haven’t been through this watch’s listings yet. Search eBay for the grade and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for a sharp photo of the movement showing the grade and serial number, and a short video of the watch running, and pass on any listing that won’t show them.
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Specs and what to check →