Elgin Veritas Up/Down Wind Indicator Railroad Grade Pocket Watch (1920)

About this Elgin 453

Only nine thousand Grade 453 Veritas movements were ever built — across the entire life of the model, in runs of a thousand at a time. This one left the Elgin factory in 1920, a 16-size, 23-jewel openface railroad watch sitting at the very top of Elgin's catalog: their answer to the Hamilton 950 and the Waltham Vanguard. It is the highest grade Elgin ever produced for railroad service, housed in a yellow gold-filled case. The up/down wind (power reserve) indicator found on this model was a premium, life-saving complication—allowing a conductor or engineer to see at a glance exactly how much mainspring power remained so the watch would never unexpectedly run down. While Elgin produced 9,000 Grade 453 movements in total, the exact number produced with the up/down wind indicator remains unknown, making these specific examples highly rare and sought after by modern collectors.

The "Veritas" (Latin for "truth") was the crown jewel of the Elgin National Watch Company's railroad line. During the peak of the American railroad era, strict timekeeping was quite literally a matter of life and death, as a stopped watch could lead to catastrophic train collisions. The Veritas name was Elgin's declaration that this movement met or exceeded every requirement of American railroad service. The 3/4-plate nickel movement features 23 ruby and sapphire jewels in gold settings, and is strictly adjusted to five positions, temperature, and isochronism. It carries a double-roller escapement with exposed sapphire pallet stones, a steel escape wheel, a compensating balance under a micrometric regulator, and a lever setting to prevent accidental time changes. The plates are beautifully damascened with gold-inlaid engraving—showcasing Elgin building without compromise.  

The yellow gold-filled openface case suits the Veritas perfectly. Gold-filled cases were the standard choice on the rails, providing the warmth and appearance of solid gold at a price a conductor could justify, while the heavy plating held up to decades of daily pocket wear. Rather than a plain polish, the case back features a beautiful floral engraving, adding a unique touch of elegance to this working railroad man's watch.  

The year this watch was finished, 1920, saw American women voting in a presidential election for the first time, the birth of commercial radio broadcasting, and the official start of Prohibition as the country stepped into the Roaring Twenties. To carry this Veritas is to carry the best Elgin ever built for the rails, still keeping time a hundred and six years after it left the factory floor.

Condition is excellent throughout — the enamel dial, the case, and the 23-jewel Veritas movement all present as a watch that has been cared for across its century. All vintage pocket watches are cleaned, oiled, and adjusted for accuracy and come warranted for one full year from the date of purchase.