Rev. Leo N. Sheltreau - Elgin Watch Gallery
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Elgin Watch Company History​
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The National Watch Company was founded in 1864 in Elgin, Illinois; ten years later renamed the Elgin National Watch Company. At one time, Elgin was one of the largest watchmakers in the USA, if not the very largest. All continued well for Elgin as the 19th century became the 20th, and by 1940, the company could boast of being the largest watchmaker in the country.
Father Sheltreau's 1953 Elgin Deluxe
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While Elgin made basic, mid-grade, and premium Lord/Lady Elgins, the DeLuxe line offered a better grade than the entry-level models, typically featuring 17 jewels for smoother operation. The "DeLuxe" name was used on various models before becoming a distinct line, with a notable launch in late 1938. DeLuxe watches often had distinctive, fashionable gold-filled cases and appealing dials, reflecting Elgin's reputation for combining quality with style.
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The classic vintage DeLuxe watches date from the 1940s and 1950s. Father Sheltreau's Deluxe features a 10K white gold filled case that was used on several different Elgin models, including the Elgin Deluxe Crusader.
With the advent of WWII, Elgin became even bigger, adding thousands of employees in order to make vast quantities of watches, instruments and munition timing devices for the Allies. At its peak, some 5,500 employees worked around the clock to churn out such products. At war's end, Elgin's transition back to peacetime production was smoother than most, and in 1951, the firm was able to celebrate the making of its 50 millionth watch movement — an amazing feat. Mass production of watches at moderate prices had made Elgin the watch of choice for America's working man. The Elgin product line grew to include the basic Elgin models with 15-jewel movements, the Elgin DeLuxe with 17 jewels and the Lord and Lady Elgins with 19-23 jewels.
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Like so many American watchmakers, the end came in the 1960s as higher production costs, an increase in imports and the move towards electric timepieces combined to hasten its doom. All factories were shuttered and the brand sold and then resold again.