Description:

Elgin 17J adj. grade 483 wrist watch #34864275, vintage mechanical manual-wind nickel split plate movement, matte black metal dial with raised fancy gold Arabic-style numbers and "Kirby" in fancy gold script on the upper half of the dial, possibly as a promotional or commemorative watch for the Kirby Company, a few of the numbers have some light patina but no scratches or damage, gold steel fancy whip-style hands, long rectangular yellow gold filled (YGF) smooth polish case with a wide bezel tapering on all sides to meet the stepped frame and slender extended lugs, thick glass crystal, case is showing normal wear overall with a few spots of brass starting on the lugs along with a few shallow but notable scratches along the top bezel, measures approx. 20mm wide x 40mm lug to lug x 8mm thick (crystal included), eye-catching YGF & stainless steel (SS) expansion band with smooth polish finished links in multiple sizes and shapes. A distinctive, high quality vintage promotional watch from the 1930s in excellent condition!

Item Specifics:

Year Made: 1934-1935
Company: Elgin
Jewels: 1117J
Setting/Movement Type: manual-wind
Adjustments: 1-3 positions
Model/Grade: 483
Serial #: 34864275
Movement Finish: nickel
Dial Material: metal
Dial Color: black
Dial Details: "Kirby" advertising
Hand Style: whip
Case Style: rectangular
Case Material: Gold Filled - Yellow
Case Width, without crown: 20mm (0.79 inches)
Case Length, lug to lug: 40mm (1.57 inches)
Case Thickness: 8mm (0.31 inches)
Interior Lug Width: 16mm (5/8")
Band Size: 6in. to 6.99in.
(measurement range includes watch length & band)
Band Material: metal expansion
Crystal Material: glass
Misc. Info: Kirby
Condition: Excellent
Gender: Gentlemen's

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.