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!
- 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
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 22nd, 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.
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 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.
