Elgin 12S 7J grade 303 pocket watch #22434154, YGF engraved SB&B thin case, Harley Davidson emblem

Elgin 12S 7J grade 303 pocket watch #22434154, YGF engraved SB&B thin case, Harley Davidson emblem

Your Price:
$225.00
EJ251: Thank you for your interest! This item has been sold as of 12/24.
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  • Description
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  • Full Description
  • Item Specifics
  • Company Info
  • Running Condition
  • Logo Info
  • How To Wear & Use
  • Additional Info
  • Gift Info
Elgin 12S 7J grade 303 pocket watch #22434154, attractive nickel split plate movement with a fancy concentric circle damascene pattern, 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!
  • 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
The Elgin watch company, out of Elgin, Illinois, was in business from 1864-1964, and while active, was the largest-producing American watch company, manufacturing an estimated half of all pocket watches ("dollar" watches not included). By 1956 they had produced over 55 million pocket and wrist watches.

As an additional resource, we've posted a Serial Number Production List which includes information for Elgin serial numbers and dates of manufacture.
The NAWCC also has a comprehensive article about the company; additional information may also be found on Wikipedia.
You may browse all of our men's pocket watches from this manufacturer at our Vintage Men's Elgin Pocket Watches category.
This watch is in good running condition, unless otherwise noted in the description. This means that on receipt, pending any item-specific running conditions noted in the description, you can expect the watch to be winding and setting properly and to run smoothly while keeping reasonable time. We consider "reasonable time" to meet these basic guidelines:
  • Railroad Grade Watches will be keeping +/- 5 minutes per day
  • Pocket and Wrist Watches with 15 or more jewels will be keeping +/- 10 minutes per day
  • All key wind watches and watches with 14 or fewer jewels will be keeping +/- 15 minutes per day
The above guideline is the lowest standard in which we would ship out a watch, however in most cases, you will see much better timekeeping. Most of our watches have been in storage for many years, so if you plan on carrying/wearing them everyday, you should consider having them cleaned and oiled soon, and then once a year thereafter to keep them in top running condition. If the watches will be for occasional use or display, they should be cleaned and serviced every 3 to 5 years depending on use.

As of December 30th, 2024, we are not offering a cleaning and service option through PM Time Service. While we do hope to offer this again in the future, we are unfortunately unable to meet customer requests for watch servicing at this time. Please note that, unless otherwise mentioned within the "Full Description" tab, this watch is being sold in good running condition and is ready to wear or carry on arrival.
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, a company would have them added for their employees, 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.

And, if you are interested in this watch without the current advertising dial, please drop us a note as well. On wrist watches, we can give you a quote on what the current charge to re-finish the dial would be (typically it will run $35 to $75 depending on the dial style). On American-make pocket watches, we may have a replacement dial in stock and could exchange the current dial with an unmarked dial for a small fee. Most European-make watches would need to have the dial refinished to remove the emblem.
Unlike modern quartz watches, most vintage watches need daily winding in order to keep the watch functioning for timekeeping. Additionally, there are a number of different ways to set the time other than simply pulling the crown away from the watch body. We are happy to provide an overview of each of the different setting types on our "How To Use" page, where we also provide information on proper winding techniques for each style and some suggestions for the proper long term care and storage of your watch.

For additional information on gold colors and how they are classified, please check out this helpful Wikipedia article.

For your gift giving convenience, please find a consolidated overview of the information on this item, with no reference to the price, on this printer-optimized page.

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  • Understanding Our Descriptions
  • Return Policy
  • Payment & Shipping
We process a very large number of watches and accessories each year for sale via our website, eBay and local avenues. We attempt to offer descriptions and photos that are as complete and clear as possible on each item, and we always encourage you to write us with questions if something is not addressed in the description!

In each description, we attempt to note the following things:
<maker><size><jewels><setting><adjustments><grade/model><serial number>, <movement information>, <dial information>, <hand information>, <case information>, <misc. information>, <overall condition and comments>

Taking an example of a watch already described, we've bracketed the different sections and ordered them as above:
<Ball-Hamilton> <16S> <21J> <LS> <adj.> <Official RR Standard> <#B651197>, <nickel movement with gold jewel settings and concentric circle damascene pattern, should be noted that the gears on the movement may not be all original however watch is running strong and not affecting running condition>, <porcelain Ball marked dial with Arabic numbers has very faint hairline (not distracting)>, <blue steel hands>, <beautiful YGF SB&B Ball marked case with engraved bezels and blank monogram shield showing normal even wear (no brass)>, <fancy bow>. <High grade Ball watch in very good condition, perfect to carry everyday!>

We also provide a List of Abbreviations that we use in our descriptions, as well as a Pocket Watch Sizing Chart that explains numerically and graphically the various sizes of pocket watches that we offer.
We offer a 30-day return period beginning the day you receive your items for all PM Time Service merchandise. To receive a full refund, the item must be return in "as shipped" condition, with no new personalized engravings or end-user adaptions. Items damaged in transit will be eligible for the full refund pending the application of the insurance claim on the damaged watch or item. Please see our Shipping & Return Policy page for full details.
Holiday & Vacation Dates - Unless otherwise noted on our holiday page, you can expect an order placed to be processed and shipped out within 2-3 business days, often much sooner. If you need an item quickly, please do double check our holiday page to make sure we will be in the office!

Please use the "Estimate Your Shipping" button on the Shopping Basket page to get a specific quote on your current shipping fees. The estimate will be available once you have added at least one (1) item to your shopping cart.

In order to provide a fair and secure shipping experience for our customers, and protect your valuable purchases, we include full insurance for the total value of your order with all items purchased. At this time, we do not allow for a customer to opt-out of insurance on their shipments. Details may be found at our Shipping, Insurance, & Return Policy page.

We are happy to accept credit cards and PayPal, as well as checks and money orders, for payment on all orders.

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