Swiss Elgin Watch Calibres
Grade Listings for Swiss-Made Elgin Watches
The Elgin National Watch Company
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Swiss Elgin Watches
Beginning in the late 1940s, Elgin began importing Swiss-made watch movements and selling them under the Elgin brand name. These late-production Elgin watches are commonly known as "Swiss Elgins".
In later years, some of these watches were assembled at Elgin's new plant in Elgin, South Carolina. The little town of Blaney, South Carolina became the home to a new Elgin factory in the early 1960s. South Carolina State Sen. John West, who was also the Blaney Town Attorney, was in his second term and had not been able to bring any new industry to Kershaw County. With the help of SC Gov. Fritz Hollings, he was put in contact with the management of the Elgin National Watch Company of Elgin, Illinois.
West escorted the Elgin team to the Blaney area and they were impressed with the availability of large tracts of cheap land and the proximity to Columbia, where they felt they would find a good (i.e. inexpensive) labor market. Local residents began working up incentives to bring the company to Blaney, eventually voting (in a 61-16 landslide) to change the town's name from Blaney to Elgin.
The new plant was dedicated in March, 1963 and more than 200 people were employed – the majority of them women. The jobs and prosperity that Elgin brought to the community were short-lived, however. In September of 1967 the company announced it was no longer able to compete with foreign (Swiss) manufacturers and they were getting out of the watch business.
Identifying Swiss Elgin Watches
Swiss-made Elgin watches were not marked with individual serial numbers as were American-made Elgins, and many display both an Elgin grade number as well as a manufacturer/grade code from the actual Swiss manufacturer that made the watch. It often takes a careful inspection of the watch movement using a loupe or microscope to spot the manufacturer's code, but it can sometimes be found underneath the balance wheel or beneath the dial.
| Swiss Elgin Watch Grades | Equivalent Swiss Movement Calibres |
|---|---|
| Elgin 627 | BM-SS1396 |
| Elgin 628 | UT 543 |
| Elgin 629 | FONT 28 |
| Elgin 632 | FONT 62 |
| Elgin 634 | AS 1563 |
| Elgin 643 | BM-AS 1361 |
| Elgin 644 | BM-AS 1323 |
| Elgin 645 | BM-AS 1320 |
| Elgin 653 | BM-AS 1323 |
| Elgin 657 | LIP R40 |
| Elgin 659 | FONT 73 |
| Elgin 663 | AS 1580 |
| Elgin 664 | AS 1580 |
| Elgin 678 | AS 1361 |
| Elgin 679 | AS 1430 |
| Elgin 694 | AS 1124 |
| Elgin 695 | AS 1124 |
| Elgin 696 | FONT 60 |
| Elgin 697 | FONT 60 |
| Elgin 698 | Seiko 6x8 |
| Elgin 699 | Seiko DSS |
| Elgin 720 | JEAM 23D |
| Elgin 723 | JEAM PS32 |
| Elgin 747 | AS 1156 |
| Elgin 748 | FEF 37IN |
| Elgin 749 | FONT 60 |
| Elgin 790 | PUW 57 |
| Elgin 791 | AS 1526 |
| Elgin 794 | AS 1156 |
| Elgin 799 | FONT 69 |
| Elgin 889 | FONT 72 |
| Elgin 1421 | AS 1323 |
| Elgin 1422 | AS 1320 |
| Elgin 1423 | AS 1361 |
At Renaissance Watch Repair, we are experts in the repair and restoration of vintage mechanical watches made by the Elgin National Watch Company, and we have a large inventory of late-model Swiss Elgin original parts. Please contact us if you have any questions about the repair of your Elgin watch.
Modern Battery-Powered "Elgin" Watches
Note that Swiss Elgin watches should not be confused with the modern, quartz, battery-powered "Elgin" watches being sold at Wal-Mart (and other retailers). Those watches are Elgins in brand name only and have absolutely no connection to the original Elgin National Watch Company. Elgin never made any battery-powered quartz watches. For information on US-production of Elgin watches, visit our Elgin Company History page.
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