Elgin Grades No. 274 and No. 368: The Hunting Movements
By The enormous success of the “Veritas Model” following its launch in 1901 prompted the Elgin National Watch Company to create a hunting version of the model. At the time, hunting watches were still accepted on many American railroads and some customers preferred this particular style.
Introduced c.1904, the No. 274 represents one of only two grades the company produced in this model. The movements were initially adorned with the familiar “Veritas” name in black enameled script.
However, by the time this grade was retired, numerous names and markings had been applied to the movements to adapt to specific market opportunities. This unique mix of variations makes for one of the most ambitious challenges for an avid Elgin collector.
Around 1909, the No. 368 was introduced as a 17-Jewel grade in the hunting configuration. Similar to the No. 274, market demand was not very strong. As a result, the cumulative production for the No. 274 and No. 368 was limited to 6,000 units.
