Description:

Elgin 12S 7J grade 303 pocket watch #22434154, attractive nickel split plate movement with a fancy concentric circle damascene pattern, single sunk (SS) porcelain enamel dial with bold fancy Arabic numbers and a black-marked subsidiary seconds register has the Harley Davidson shield emblem in black under Elgin, dial has a faint hairline and a small flake at the top of the seconds register, blue steel spade style hands.

Handsome yellow gold filled (YGF) fully engraved screw back & bezel (SB&B) thin-model case with a distinctive radiating basket-weave engine turned pattern that starts at the lower center of the case where there is a fancy monogram shield surrounded by floral engraving, fancy monogram in shield is possibly "CF", slanted coin edge engraving on the bezels, short pendant and a fancy engraved elongated bow, case is showing normal even wear with some notable smoothing on the edges of the engraving, some small pin-sized scratches on the frame and a small scratch on the back bezel near the edge; additionally it appears this has a factory error with the very faint shadow-line under the engine turning of what looks like a center monogram button that you must tilt the case to catch the light just right to see, measures approx. 44mm in diameter x 56mm in length x 11mm thick (crystal included). A nice vintage dress watch from the 1920s for the Harley Davidson enthusiast, in excellent overall condition!

Item Specifics:

Year Made: 1920-1921
Company: Elgin
Movement Size: 0712S
Jewels: 217J
Setting/Movement Type: pendant set
Model/Grade: 303
Serial #: 22434154
Movement Finish: nickel
Dial Material: porcelain enamel
Dial Details: Harley Davidson advertising
Hand Style: spade
Case Style: SB&B
Case Material: Gold Filled - Yellow
Case Details: thin model, monogram, fancy bow
Case Width/Diameter: 44mm (1.73 inches)
Case Length, bow included: 56mm (2.20 inches)
Case Thickness: 11mm (0.43 inches)
Crystal Material: plastic
Condition: Excellent
Gender: Unisex

Logo Info:

On all but a few of the advertising logos, mainly Packard from the Hamilton company and Studebaker from South Bend, the logos would have been commissioned through a professional dial company after they left the factory to have the logo applied. For instance, a car dealership might have them added as a promotion, a motorcycle club would have ones done for each of their members, etc.

On the watch/logo combinations that may not match up on a timeline (the watch was made prior to the automobile company being formed, for instance), what we understand could have happened is, say for a car club, the members would need to provide their own watch to which the emblems would be added. Someone might have wanted a Harley logo on "Grandpa Bob's" old pocket watch, and would have had the dial pulled from that. Other than the Packard/Hamilton & Studebaker/South Bend arrangements, it was a free-for-all on the pairings and you could find just about any combination of manufacturer with the different logos.

We do also have a pretty good selection of the vintage dials that have emblems on them, but that are not attached to a watch yet. Often in the past, a customer would want a watch without the advertising, so we would just pull the printed dial and replace it with a similar-style plain dial, then set the printed one aside. If you have something specific you are looking for, please drop us a note to see if we have anything in our stock that might work for you.