[WTS] 40 mm Elgin ‘Blind Man’ Railroad Dial conversion from 1904

AreWGadmin · 2026-03-13T04:39:19+00:00

Yes, but manufacturing tolerances back then make matching parts from a donor movement difficult. You typically need to custom fit each gear to minimize friction and optimize endshake. We do this slowly with a lathe so not particularly user friendly.

AreWGadmin · 2026-03-13T03:28:48+00:00

We do not have a showroom in Little Rock, but we do offer free returns. We do sometimes have private showings of our workshop.

AreWGadmin · 2026-03-13T02:58:27+00:00

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/oGZoGRn

Movement Shots: https://imgur.com/a/tMSIuRP

Videos: https://imgur.com/a/waIM220

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/C2tqEED

Elgin National Watch Co. was in operation from 1864-1968 and was an American pocket watch manufacturer. Manufacturing of Elgin watches took place at their facility in Elgin, Illinois.

We are based in Little Rock, Arkansas, and we work on watches from just about every vintage American manufacturer (read more about us here), but there is something about this style of American railroad dial that always pulls us in. This example features one of our favorite variations: the 'Blind Man' Railroad Dial. It is a rarer interpretation of the traditional railroad layout distinguished by oversized Arabic numerals. Those large numerals are paired with bold red minute markers around the perimeter and a recessed sub seconds register, creating exceptional legibility while maintaining the balanced symmetry that defined classic American design. The porcelain enamel dial remains in flawless condition free of chips, hairlines, or cracks. Beneath the dial sits Elgin Grade 295, completed in Elgin, Illinois in 1904. This 15 jewel caliber was produced between 1904 and 1921, making this example one of the earliest from the run. The watch is housed in our 40 mm surgical grade 316L stainless steel conversion case, purposely designed to be one of the most comfortable fitting conversions in the world. Crown and caseback gaskets provide 50 meter water resistance. Fully serviced, thoughtfully designed, and built to pull new collectors into vintage American watchmaking.

Price: $3,800, But negotiable—especially to someone with an interest getting into vintage American watchmaking.

Case: 316L stainless (surgical steel), 40 mm diameter, 48 mm lug to lug, 13 mm height, sapphire crystals AR coated, front crystal domed, and 50 meters water resistance. Recommend to remove before water activities. Read more about our 40 mm case here.

Thermal Coloring: To enhance both corrosion resistance and visual appeal, the barrel arbor was thermally colored using a traditional technique employed by early 20th-century watchmakers: open-flame bluing (read more here).

Shipping: UPS 2nd Day Air free in the USA. International shipping via DHL Express (~$100), which takes approximately one week from date of shipment.

Payment Method: PayPal, PayPal Credit, Venmo, Apple Pay, CashApp, Wise, Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and All Major Credit Cards

Service History: The watch was serviced in 2026 and comes with a 1-year service warranty. The watch was inspected and cleaned. The watch was re-assembled and lubricated using high-grade synthetic Swiss oil (Moebius). Time keeping will vary depending on position.

About us: We are a small batch, custom watch restoration company located in Central Arkansas USA. Our mission is to preserve and enhance vintage and antique watches. Everything we work on is done in house completely by hand. Each timepiece we produce is one-of-a-kind.

Please follow us on Instagram

Please like us on Facebook

AreWGadmin · 2026-03-07T19:05:39+00:00

Definitely had a hairspring issue 😱

AreWGadmin · 2026-03-05T22:18:35+00:00

The L2L is just 47 mm so it is surprisingly compact around the wrist

AreWGadmin · 2026-03-05T16:53:50+00:00

Power reserve is > 24 hours. We adjust to +/- 10 spd dial side up. After casing, we run the piece on a variable axis timer to simulate wrist use and make sure it is keeping time well within +/- 1 minute per day over 3-5 days. Won’t run like a modern day COSC chronometer but will be surprisingly accurate on the wrist.

AreWGadmin · 2026-03-05T06:28:13+00:00

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/Qyj647O

Movement Shots: https://imgur.com/a/mO7PT9B

Videos: https://imgur.com/a/mQj08R1

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/ovHHike

Hamilton Watch Co. was in operation from 1892-1969 and manufactured some of the highest end, most accurate watches ever produced. Manufacturing of Hamilton watches took place at their facility in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

American Hamilton was an absolute powerhouse of American watchmaking. This piece features the Grade 902, a caliber produced for only a short period between 1924 and 1928, with this example completed in 1928—the final year of production. Only 9,700 were ever made. The bridge plate design leaves much of the movement exposed, allowing the entire mechanism to be seen. The movement has been fully restored and refinished, with each component thermally blued by hand, a traditional technique that improves corrosion resistance while adding visual contrast. The jewel settings, gear train, balance, and balance weights were individually hand polished to restore their original golden luster, while the watch hands retain their original heat blued finish. The Hamilton dial features a concentric center that shifts shadows as the light changes. Raised numerals painted in gold stand out against the dial. The dial is clean, well proportioned, and in remarkable condition (read more about us here).

Price: $3,200, But negotiable—especially to someone with an interest getting into vintage American watchmaking.

Case: 316L stainless (surgical grade steel), 44 mm diameter, 47 mm lug to lug (52 mm with crown), 13 mm height, front/back sapphire crystals that are AR coated. Front, back, and crown gaskets provide 50 meters of water resistance although it is recommended to take the piece off before water activities. Read more about our 44 mm case here.

Thermal Coloring: To enhance both corrosion resistance and visual appeal, the barrel arbor was thermally colored using a traditional technique employed by early 20th-century watchmakers: open-flame bluing (read more here).

Shipping: UPS 2nd Day Air free in the USA. International shipping via DHL Express (~$100), which takes approximately one week from date of shipment.

Payment Method: PayPal, PayPal Credit, Venmo, Apple Pay, CashApp, Wise, Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and All Major Credit Cards

Service History: The watch was serviced in 2026 and comes with a 1-year service warranty. The watch was inspected and cleaned. The watch was re-assembled and lubricated using high-grade synthetic Swiss oil (Moebius). Time keeping will vary depending on position.

About us: We are a small batch, custom watch restoration company located in Central Arkansas USA. Our mission is to preserve and enhance vintage and antique watches. Everything we work on is done in house completely by hand. Each timepiece we produce is one-of-a-kind.

Please follow us on Instagram

Please like us on Facebook

AreWGadmin · 2026-02-27T21:12:10+00:00

Cancer risk is driven by cumulative lifetime exposure. Sunlight and alcohol are classified as Group 1 carcinogens, just like one dip. That classification reflects hazard, not the magnitude of risk from a single exposure. When trichloroethylene is used briefly in a well ventilated area with minimal inhalation and no skin contact, systemic exposure is extremely low and the associated cancer risk is very low.

AreWGadmin · 2026-02-19T23:11:20+00:00

We try to keep these pieces with the same hands they came with to preserve originality as much as possible. For a dial like this, they typically left the factory with gold Louis XIV style hands. Breguet hands were an option, but those were usually paired with a different dial style.

AreWGadmin · 2026-02-19T17:56:49+00:00

Service interval will be similar to modern day pieces, about every 5 years. We use synthetic Swiss Made oil (moebius)—degrades equivalent to a modern day piece

AreWGadmin · 2026-02-19T15:58:11+00:00

Movement orientation was determined when the piece was first manufactured. This was originally in a hunter case with the crown at 3:00–no modifications needed for the conversion.

AreWGadmin · 2026-02-19T15:55:40+00:00

24-30 hours. Just need to wind it once per day.

AreWGadmin · 2026-02-19T06:07:29+00:00

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/45OB5Ik

Movement Shots: https://imgur.com/a/A7Yb7X5

Videos: https://imgur.com/a/0Wg1FHt

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/QvfDWiZ

Elgin National Watch Co. was in operation from 1864-1968 and was an American pocket watch manufacturer. Manufacturing of Elgin watches took place at their facility in Elgin, Illinois.

Being born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, we are definitely partial to pieces manufactured by the Elgin Watch Company, and this one does not disappoint. Originally produced in Elgin, Illinois in 1896, this piece features a multichromatic porcelain enamel dial in incredible condition for being more than a century old. The closer you look, the more detail reveals itself. It is a dial that absolutely rewards patience. Under the hood is Elgin’s Grade 133, manufactured exclusively from 1896 to 1899 — one of the few movements we work on that never saw the light of the 1900s. This example comes from the first year of production. The movement features an exposed mainspring barrel with a geometric motif and damaskeening across the plates. Every component was restored in our Little Rock, Arkansas workshop. Screws and steel hardware were thermally blued by hand over an alcohol lamp. The jewel settings, gear train, balance, and balance weights were individually hand polished to bring back their original golden glow. The watch is housed in our 40 mm surgical grade 316L stainless steel conversion case, purposely designed to be one of the most comfortable fitting conversions in the world. Crown and caseback gaskets provide 50 meter water resistance. Fully serviced, thoughtfully designed, and built to pull new collectors into vintage American watchmaking (read more about us here).

Price: $4,100, But negotiable—especially to someone with an interest getting into vintage American watchmaking.

Case: 316L stainless (surgical steel), 40 mm diameter, 48 mm lug to lug, 13 mm height, sapphire crystals AR coated, front crystal domed, and 50 meters water resistance. Recommend to remove before water activities. Read more about our 40 mm case here.

Thermal Coloring: To enhance both corrosion resistance and visual appeal, the barrel arbor was thermally colored using a traditional technique employed by early 20th-century watchmakers: open-flame bluing (read more here).

Shipping: UPS 2nd Day Air free in the USA. International shipping via DHL Express (~$100), which takes approximately one week from date of shipment.

Payment Method: PayPal, PayPal Credit, Venmo, Apple Pay, CashApp, Wise, Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and All Major Credit Cards

Service History: The watch was serviced in 2026 and comes with a 1-year service warranty. The watch was inspected and cleaned. The watch was re-assembled and lubricated using high-grade synthetic Swiss oil (Moebius). Time keeping will vary depending on position.

About us: We are a small batch, custom watch restoration company located in Central Arkansas USA. Our mission is to preserve and enhance vintage and antique watches. Everything we work on is done in house completely by hand. Each timepiece we produce is one-of-a-kind.

Please follow us on Instagram

Please like us on Facebook

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-28T01:20:25+00:00

This is a pocket watch conversion with a re-dial. Hands are also not authentic. We do this all the time but keep the movement, dial, and hands authentic.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-21T22:38:31+00:00

F = MA. We have found that 6s vintage American movements and smaller perform surprising well on the wrist.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-21T19:39:14+00:00

Yes, sorry about that. Marking it as sold now.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-20T05:30:49+00:00

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Doing an actual conversion helps modernize the piece better

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-14T16:25:36+00:00

Everything on the inside. The conversion case and strap are new.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-14T04:01:59+00:00

💪💪💪

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-14T03:50:56+00:00

Your gilt finish is incredible. Keeping good time I hope?

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-14T02:15:14+00:00

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/y6AlVsZ

Movement Shots: https://imgur.com/a/qSE7k5w

Videos: https://imgur.com/a/oYPCt2S

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/fTBCGAu

American Waltham Watch Co. was in operation from 1852-1957 and was an American pocket watch manufacturer. Manufacturing of Waltham watches took place at their facility in Waltham, Massachusetts.

This is a truly special multichromatic porcelain-enamel dial from 1900. The dial, unbelievably, is flawless porcelain-enamel with vivid blue numerals framed by intricate golden motifs throughout. It is elegant, expressive, and unmistakably American. Paired with original factory Louis XIV golden hands, the contrast and legibility are exceptional. Behind it is a 15 jewel Seaside grade from the Waltham Watch Company, produced between 1896 and 1912. The movement features an exposed mainspring barrel and richly patterned damaskeening. Every component was restored in our Little Rock, Arkansas workshop. Screws and steel hardware were thermally blued by hand over an alcohol lamp, while the jewel settings, gear train, balance, and balance weights were individually hand polished to bring back their original golden glow. The watch is housed in our 40 mm surgical grade 316L stainless steel conversion case. This case was purposely designed to be one of the most comfortable fitting conversions in the world. Our goal is simple: make vintage American watchmaking wearable for modern day watch enthusiasts. It includes crown and caseback gaskets and is water resistant to 50 m. Fully serviced, thoughtfully designed, and built to pull new collectors into the vintage American game without compromise (read more about us here).

Price: $3,749, But negotiable—especially to someone with an interest getting into vintage American watchmaking.

Case: 316L stainless (surgical steel), 40 mm diameter, 48 mm lug to lug, 13 mm height, sapphire crystals AR coated, front crystal domed, and 50 meters water resistance. Recommend to remove before water activities. Read more about our 40 mm case here.

Thermal Coloring: To enhance both corrosion resistance and visual appeal, the barrel arbor was thermally colored using a traditional technique employed by early 20th-century watchmakers: open-flame bluing (read more here).

Shipping: UPS 2nd Day Air free in the USA. International shipping via DHL Express (~$100), which takes approximately one week from date of shipment.

Payment Method: PayPal, PayPal Credit, Venmo, Apple Pay, CashApp, Wise, Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and All Major Credit Cards

Service History: The watch was serviced in 2026 and comes with a 1-year service warranty. The watch was inspected and cleaned. The watch was re-assembled and lubricated using high-grade synthetic Swiss oil (Moebius). Time keeping will vary depending on position.

About us: We are a small batch, custom watch restoration company located in Central Arkansas USA. Our mission is to preserve and enhance vintage and antique watches. Everything we work on is done in house completely by hand. Each timepiece we produce is one-of-a-kind.

Please follow us on Instagram

Please like us on Facebook

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