Elgin B.W. Raymond Railroad Grade 571 Housed in Popular Style 3055 Streamline Case (1953)

Here we have an Elgin B.W. Raymond Grade 571 pocket watch, produced in Elgin, Illinois in 1953. Named for Benjamin W. Raymond, the Chicago mayor who helped found the company, the B.W. Raymond line was Elgin's premier railroad watch, and this example is beautifully housed in the highly desirable Keystone J. Boss 10K Gold Fill Style 3055 Streamline case.

The face of this watch features a fantastic Boxcar-style Montgomery safety dial, a highly sought-after design among modern collectors. It prominently displays the B.W. Raymond name directly on the brilliant white, single-sunk dial—a distinguished and rather uncommon feature. Time is tracked by exquisite blued steel hands, offering the perfect contrast and legibility required for the demanding conditions of the railroad.

The movement is the size 16 Grade 571, 21 jewels, finished in nickel and adjusted to six positions, temperature, and isochronism. As one of the company's most successful railroad-grade models, the 571 rivaled the famous Hamilton 992 in sheer reliability on the rails. Railroad professionals across the country relied on the B.W. Raymond to coordinate schedules and ensure the safe passage of freight and passengers. This 1953 example represents the pinnacle of mid-century railway timekeeping, showing honest pocket wear from active duty on the American railways.

This is another excellent example of the mid-20th-century American ingenuity that made the Elgin National Watch Company a trusted standard for accuracy and precision. A genuine Elgin B.W. Raymond in honest, original condition with a Montgomery dial is increasingly difficult to find.

All vintage pocket watches are cleaned, oiled, and adjusted for accuracy and warranted for one full year from the date of purchase.