Bargain of the Week

Manufacturer: Ernest Borel
Style/Model: Square automatic with "Clamshell" waterproof style case
Case material: Stainless steel
Dimensions: 37mm lug to lug by 26 wide, not including crown
Price paid: $50

Here is a sample of the kind of watches I like to buy, and a perfect example of how there are thousands and thousands of watches "out there" that are priced at $100 and less (sometimes much less). This is an Ernest Borel square automatic. All stainless steel case, of an experimental "waterproof" variety used by several manufacturers at the time. Note the four screws on the back of the watch, one inside each lug. A gasket inside the watch, along with a special crystal with a lip along the edge, form a "sandwich" that is compressed as these screws are tightened.

This case, along with several like with small variations in design, were patented in the late 1930s and manufactured by companies separate from watch manufacturers. Thus, Ernest Borel (and many other companies) purchased these cases, and installed their own movements and dials. I have seen watches like this produced by Girard Perregaux, Tissot, and Cyma/Tavannes, among others. Gallet, in fact, liked one particular variation on this case so much that they purchased the patent from Schmitz Freres of Switzerland, and used it in their "Clamshell," one of the first, if not the first, water resistant chronograph. Though Gallet technically owns the right to the "Clamshell" name, the term has come to be known in the watch collecting world as any case with this type of closure.

The case design was good in theory, but proved to be flawed in many instances. The watch, when brand new, was fine against "casual" moisture, such as splashing, getting wet from a rainstorm, etc. The watch also did very well in humid environments, and was often advertised in markets (Asia, South America, India, etc.) as a "Tropical" watch. But problems began as the watches aged, and the gaskets surrounding the case and the crown deteriorated, and the plastic crystal began to shrink. In addition, iron screws were used in some cases (rather than stainless steel) that rusted over time from body sweat and other other moisture. The screws would have to be replaced, if they could be removed at all, or drilled out.

Also, the screws go into the hole at an angle, and thus an inattentive watchmaker could damage the screw heads by attempting to apply straight downward pressure on them.

The result is that, today, these type of watches are difficult to find in good condition. This one is particularly nice. Yes, the dial has a bit of a yellow patina on it, but the case is in very pristine condition. When you look at these with an eye toward buying them, be sure to check the condition of the screws, and also be sure the crystal is in good condition (not cracked) because replacements are hard to find.

The history of Ernest Borel is quite interesting. Founded in Neuchatel, Switzerland, in 1856, the brand was virtually unknown in the United States until the late 1940s, because their market was primarily China until the Communist takeover of that country in 1949. The company is primarily known for its "Cocktail Watch," introduced in 1953, but produced many innovative watch models over the years, including the "Rendezvous" (an alarm watch, often seen with "Rendez-Vous" on the dial); the "Dateoptic" (with date magnifying lens on the dial rather than the crystal); and the "Sea Gem" (a robust sport watch). If you are a member of the NAWCC, you can read my full article on Ernest Borel in the Nov./Dec. 2013 issue of the Watch & Clock Bulletin.

You'll probably see this watch soon on my website, priced at around $100.

Thanks to David Boettcher for helping me identify the case style on this watch. David has done extensive research on the history waterproof case designs, beginning in the early 1900s. You can read David's articles on his website.

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Elgin: The Budget Wristwatch Collector's Best Friend

Sometime between 1951 and 1953 (sources vary), the Elgin National Watch Co., of Elgin, Illinois, reached the historic milestone of making 50 million watch movements. I can't even imagine how much room they would take up, how much they would weigh, how long they would stretch end to end, and all those other ridiculous statistics that some people manage to dream up. But that's a sh**load of watches any way you look at it!

Elgin was, by far, the most prolific of all the purely American watch companies (i.e., the companies where the entire watch was made in America). They made more watches than any of the "Big Three" American wristwatch manufacturers (Elgin, Waltham, Hamilton) and certainly made more than the other two minor companies of Illinois and Dueber Hampden. An Elgin company advertisement in 1928 claimed there were more than 14,418 retail jewelers in the United States, and all but 12 of them carried Elgin watches. (How in the hell they could have figured that out is beyond me, but even if those numbers were guesstimates, I'll bet it wasn't far off from the truth!)

What this means is that any discussion about collecting wristwatches on a budget darned near must begin with Elgin. Their abundance makes them imminently affordable, and their seemingly endless variety of models  can satisfy the collector with even the most severe case of Attention Deficit Disorder. (The number of models has yet to be completely cataloged, but one serious Elgin wristwatch collector claims he has so far documented 450 unique models, and I'll bet that's only a fraction of them.) You can go literally decades (as I have) and still see models that you have never seen before! (I am currently having a bezel made for an Elgin model that I have never seen before, and I will share this in an upcoming blog entry.)

For a long time, Elgin watches were considered the "weeds" of the vintage wristwatch garden. They gathered dust in dealers' bargain boxes, while collectors sought more "glamorous" brands. They were about on a par with Bulova, probably the most prolific brand on the Swiss side (see footnote 1). But look at what has happened to Bulova in the last few years: The Internet has not one, but two discussion forums devoted to Bulova. Can Elgin be far behind? (see Footnote 2)

The fact is, Elgin watches have crawled out of the basement in the last few years, due in great measure to the efforts of people like Bryan Girouard and his awesome website, Art Deco Wristwatches, that features some amazing Elgin watches from that period. Thanks to venues like eBay, people are aware of some of the other iconic watches that Elgin made through the decades, including the "Pershing," the "Memaid," the "Skyscraper," the "Chairman," the Elvis Presley direct read model, the 50 millionth anniversary wristwatch (of which only 1,000 were made), and some of the awesome models that Elgin case designers produced during the 1950s "Retro Modern" period, such as the Holcomb, Townsman, and Celestial.

Those and a few other models aside, there is a vast ocean of Elgin watch models available for a mere pittance. With a $100 bill and a little judicious shopping, you can go to your average NAWCC Regional Mart and come home with a couple of nice gold filled models, running, complete with straps. If you have the time to scour the flea markets and consignment shops, that $100 bill might buy you anywhere from four to 10 Elgins. (That's right; I've seen vintage Elgin watches priced at ten bucks apiece at flea markets, garage and estate sales, and thrift/consignment shops.)

The other nice thing about Elgin watches is that they are easy to find parts for. Go to most any watch show, and there will be cabinets stacked like cordwood full of new-old-stock parts for Elgin movements. Can't find a new replacement part? No worries. There are literally millions of Elgin movements laying around at watch shows and being offered on eBay that can be cannibalized for parts. In a really bad situation where a movement is broken or rusted beyond repair, a complete swap-out of one movement for another is often the cheaper and better alternative. (I see absolutely nothing wrong with this practice, by the way, as long as the same caliber movement is used.)

The downside to collecting Elgin (there's always a down side, isn't there?) is that they are difficult to sell come liquidation time. You may find it difficult to even get your money back on them, particularly if you have put any kind of money into restoration. But if your goal is to have fun, and you're not too concerned about investment potential. Elgin watches are your ticket!

Footnote 1: Bulova, while headquartered in the United States, imported nearly all of their movements from manufacturers in Switzerland. They are generally regarded in the vintage watch collecting community as a Swiss brand, not American.

Footnote 2: There is a subforum devoted to Elgin wristwatches here. And for a long time, Elgin enthusiast Wayne Schlitt has maintained this website which provides collectors and historians basic information about Elgin company history and a smattering of Elgin ads and one company catalog from 1939. And certainly Elgin wristwatches are discussed in other forums devoted to wristwatches in general. But there is no forum yet that I know of that is devoted exclusively to Elgin wristwatches.

This blog posting on Elgin has been just a sample of the reams and reams of material I've gathered on Elgin watches over the last 28 years. If you would like more information on Elgin watches, order my complete report. I'll tell you the history of the company, the best models to collect, what to pay, and the pitfalls to avoid. Most of all, the report identifies hundreds and hundreds of Elgin models by name, more than any identification guide on the market. It's just $9.95, and the report is delivered immediately to your email upon payment for you to download to your computer. Satisfaction is guaranteed, or your money back.