The Quest for Elgin Watch Parts

As my interest in pocket watches increased, so did my curiosity to discover how they work – what really makes them tick. I began disassembling a few of the cheaper watches from my collection that no longer worked, in hopes that I could perhaps make them run again.

In my attempt to bring new life to these watches, I quickly found that identifying and finding replacement parts is an art… an art that one can only master by spending years working with the intricate movements. Of course, there are archaic guides and material catalogs, but many times, not only are they difficult to find, but they can also be a challenge to use. Thousands of parts, diagrams, cross-reference tables…

This challenge can be discouraging to a young collector that is new to the hobby. We wanted to create a bridge that is able to provide this information in an easy-to-use format, where only the serial number is required. The remaining, non-essential data, fades to the background.

After countless hours of research, transcribing data, and writing code, we are pleased to announce that we have added the Elgin parts library to the Pocket Watch Database. This interactive tool covers almost all Elgin grades through the 1950s.

We used material catalogs and charts produced by Elgin to create the comprehensive database of parts, and have even included reference images.

Not only will this tool give you information about the parts contained inside your Elgin watch, but it can also cross-reference part numbers with other grades. This can make the process of finding a replacement part incredibly simple.

We hope this new addition will be welcomed by both newcomers and veterans of the horology hobby.