DESCRIPTION:
APW - Elgin, B.W. Raymond with scarce "Pennsylvania Railroad Co." marked dial, 15J, 18S, coin silver OF clamshell-style swingout recase with hidden key concealed in pendant, nickel cuvette, "Pennsylvania Railroad Co" marked white enamel DS dial, KWKS, gilt mvt, s#181107. A scarce and historically important early railroad watch, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company ordered these pieces directly from Elgin to supply to their engineers during the early-to-mid 1870s. This fact was proudly advertised by Elgin at the time, and the 1874 edition of the "Elgin Almanac" includes the statement that "over five hundred of the best Elgin Watches have been furnished from time to time to the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. for the use of their engineers, many of them to take the place of the English and other watches formerly used, but now discarded by the Company for the Elgins, which are pronounced by the officers of that road to be superior to any watch ever used by them."
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, excellent-plus cosmetic mvt condition overall, excellent gilt tone, some small nicks and fine scratches around case screw area, some typical micro-fine scratches elsewhere, oxide to winding arbor, some small bits of oxide to regulator index; dial with numerous hls below seconds-register between 5 and 7 with one having a minuscule associated surface flake, outer chapter hl near 12, small edge chips at 11 and 1:30; excellent hands, some oxide to fleur-de-lis of minute; case shows little wear, good hidden key function, dent to lower edge of front at 5:30, mild dent to lower-left perimeter of rear; tight bow, pendant cap shows light wear; thick glass crystal with scratch at lower-left perimeter.
ESTIMATE:
$1000
-
$2000
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