Expansion of Elgin’s 18-Size “Veritas Model” Product Line
By By the mid-1910s, the Elgin National Watch Company had expanded the “Veritas Model” product line to feature ten distinct grades, ranging from 17 to 23 jewels. Named grades such as “Father Time” and “G.M. Wheeler” were engraved on some movements to create more variety, and the company produced unnamed movements simply marked “Elgin Nat’l Watch Co. U.S.A.”
During this era, 16-size watches were quickly gaining in popularity due to the small size, especially for railroad service. As a result, sales of the 18-Size “Veritas Model” grades became slower, and the company eventually liquidated existing inventory to distributors at closeout prices. After nearly twenty years of production, the model was officially retired.
Total estimated production of the 18-Size ¾ Plate Model (“Veritas Model”) based on factory serial blocks rests at 146,000, with nearly half being produced as the No. 240 B.W. Raymond. However, much of the production was terminated early, and actual production based on data analysis was approximately 136,500.
