Antiquorum Auctioneers since 1974

Geneva, May 10, 2026

LOT 375

ELGIN NATIONAL WATCH, USA, "CONVERTIBLE", ONE OF THE HIGHEST GRADES MOVEMENT, 21 JEWELS, 18K YELLOW GOLD

CHF 6,000 - 10,000

HKD 60,000 - 100,000 / USD 7,600 - 12,700 / EUR 6,500 - 10,900 / JPY 1,210,000 - 2,020,000

TO BE SOLD WITHOUT RESERVE

Sold: CHF 8,750

A very fine and very rare, 18k gold, manual wind hunting-cased, keyless presentation pocket watch. Engine-turned bezels, vermicelli band, gold hinged cuvette over a glazed gold bezel for viewing the movement. White enamel dial with Arabic numerals, outer minute ring with 5-minute red Arabic markers, and sunk subsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2-8

Very good

Slightly scratched
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Brand Elgin National Watch, USA

Model "convertible"

Year Circa 1881

Movement No. 942078

Case No. 14946

Caliber 42 mm., nickel, 3/4 split plate with mocked bridges, damascened with wavy lines and rosettes, cock engraved with flowers, 21 jewels, the top ones in screwed raised gold settings, gold wheel train, staight line calibrated lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold screws, adjusted, blued steel Breguet balance-spring, Moseley & Hunter micrometric regulator, convertible winding and setting mechanism, lever-set.

Diameter 50 mm.

Weight 158 gr.

Signature Dial and movement

Notes

This almost mint-condition watch represents one of Elgin National Watch Company’s highest grades. In 1879, Elgin designed and introduced its so-called “convertible” movement, conceived to be housed interchangeably in both hunting-case and open-face watches—an innovative and highly practical feature for the period. These movements, typically fitted with 21 jewels, ranked among the firm’s finest productions, combining technical sophistication with robust performance.

The present example is particularly noteworthy. Preserved in almost mint condition, it is housed in a rare 18K gold box-hinged case and fitted with a friction-fit dial. Such configurations are seldom encountered, as the majority of these watches were cased in lower-carat gold or gold-filled cases, making this example especially desirable to collectors.

The cuvette is engraved: “Presented to Police Commissioner Peter M. Doty by His Friends, 1885.” This inscription not only anchors the watch in a precise historical context but also reflects its status as a prestigious and costly gift at the time, likely commissioned to honor a figure of significant standing.