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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Hunter pocket watch

1892 Elgin Gold Plated Case Hunter Pocket Watch

Partially verified

This antique pocket watch attributed to the Elgin National Watch Company features a gold-plated hunter case with a hinged front cover and reeded coin edge. The white porcelain dial displays black Roman numeral hour markers, an outer track, and a subsidiary seconds subdial at the 6 o'clock position. The dial bears the script signature 'Elgin Natl Watch Co.'. The auction house reports a case diameter of 50 mm, an interior case engraving of '898668', and a movement engraved 'No. 4775427' alongside 'Elgin Natl Watch Co'.

Front view of open hunter case pocket watch displaying white Roman numeral dial and crown at 3 o'clock
Front view of open hunter case pocket watch displaying white Roman numeral dial and crown at 3 o'clock — Akiba Galleries. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.invaluable.com
Category
Pocket watch · Hunter pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Elgin National Watch Company
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
162
Source-reported date
1892
Country
United States
Source-reported serial
4775427

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Dial and External Presentation

The pocket watch displays a white porcelain dial configured with black Roman numeral hour markers and a dedicated subsidiary seconds track with Arabic numerals positioned at the 6 o'clock mark. Despite the auction catalog's transcription stating the dial reads 'Elgin Watch Co', photographic evidence shows the porcelain surface is signed in script as 'Elgin Natl Watch Co.'.

The dial is housed in a hunter configuration where the winding crown and bow are set at the 3 o'clock position. The exterior case band features fine coin-edge reeding along its outer circumference, framing the hinged front cover mechanism.

Evidence for this section
  • “Dial is signed in black script 'Elgin Natl Watch Co.'.”
  • “Subsidiary seconds dial positioned at the 6 o'clock mark with Arabic numerals.”
  • “Winding crown and bow located at the 3 o'clock position relative to the dial.”
  • “Coin-edge reeding along the outer circumference of the case band.”
  • “"Elgin Watch Co" on porcelain dial”

Case Specifications and Reported Markings

The auctioneer identifies the piece as an antique gold-plated hunter case pocket watch with an overall case diameter measuring 50 mm. The interior of the case is reported to feature an engraved numerical marking of '898668'.

While catalog descriptions note 'engraved detailing' consistent with late 19th-century American pocket watches, the provided documentation focuses primarily on the opened front view of the dial assembly.

Evidence for this section
  • “featuring a gold-plated hunter case with hinged cover, engraved detailing, and classic late 19th-century design.”
  • “Engraved "898668" on one interior of case”
  • “Case: 50mm”

Reported Movement and Mechanical Caveats

The internal mechanism is not shown in available imagery, leaving its technical layout, jewel count, and grade unverified by visual record. All movement details rely entirely on source reporting, which notes inscriptions reading 'No. 4775427' and 'Elgin Natl Watch Co' on the movement plates.

The catalog entry provides contradictory operational statements, remarking that the piece 'needs serviced' while also asserting that the 'stopwatch works'. Given that the piece presents as a conventional time-only watch with a subsidiary seconds dial rather than a chronograph complication, this function note represents an apparent cataloguing discrepancy. The auction house further clarifies that the movement was neither tested for timing accuracy nor power reserve duration.

Evidence for this section
  • “and "No. 4775427" and "Elgin Natl Watch Co" On movement.”
  • “Needs serviced, stopwatch works.”
  • “it was not tested for accuracy of time or duration of power reserve and may need service at buyer's discretion.”

Open research questions

  • What specific Elgin movement caliber, size, and jewel count correspond to the reported movement serial number 4775427 upon direct physical inspection?
  • Which case manufacturer produced the gold-plated hunter case bearing the internal serial number 898668?
  • What prompted the cataloguer's reference to an operational 'stopwatch' on what appears to be a standard time-only running seconds subdial?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for 1892 Elgin Gold Plated Case Hunter Pocket Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Movement Serial4775427“No. 4775427”
Case Number898668“898668”
Case Diameter50mm“Case: 50mm”
Dial MaterialPorcelain“porcelain dial”
MakerElgin National Watch Company“Elgin National Watch Company”

Visible details

  • Hinged hunter case lid opened revealing a white porcelain dial with Roman numerals.
  • Dial is signed in black script 'Elgin Natl Watch Co.'.
  • Subsidiary seconds dial positioned at the 6 o'clock mark with Arabic numerals.
  • Winding crown and bow located at the 3 o'clock position relative to the dial.
  • Coin-edge reeding along the outer circumference of the case band.

Research qualifications

  • The auction text incorrectly claims the dial is marked 'Elgin Watch Co', whereas the photograph clearly shows 'Elgin Natl Watch Co.'.
  • Movement is unpictured; movement serial number and signature rely entirely on the auctioneer's catalog description.
  • The catalog statement that the 'stopwatch works' appears to be an error by the cataloguer, as the item is a standard time-only pocket watch with a subsidiary seconds hand rather than a chronograph.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Sold at Auction: 1892 Elgin Gold Plated Case Hunter Pocket Watch

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 579ec56403

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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