24 hour Elgin Type A-11

8276 Views 17 Replies 8 Participants Last post by StopBuyingWatchesDamnIt, Aug 21, 2020

Sman

Discussion Starter · Apr 18, 2013

Hi,

I own a couple type A-11 ww2 watches and I like them quite alot. Recently I have seen a few Elgin Type A-11's with 24 hour dials and I really like the way they look. The ones I saw online looked like repro's in new cases so I wasn't so interested in them but I would really like to find a nice 24 hour A-11. If anyone has any info on these unusual watches, or better yet knows where I could acquire one in original condition any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

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GeneJockey

· #2 · Apr 18, 2013 (Edited)

Most if not all the 24hr 'A-11' Elgins are actually recased gun camera watches. Elgin made versions of the 647, 685, and a variety of their 13/0 movements for this purpose. I recently acquired one of these - the movement and dial only. It's a real, 24hr, hack-setting movement, but it wasn't built for wrist wear. I bought a Star A-11 case for it, which I believe it will fit, but I'm keepin' it!

I see you also hit the MWR forum, so I won't tell you to go look there! From what I've read there, I think most folks believe that there were no 24hr A-11's issued, so they ALL are either Frankens or recased camera watches. I do happen to own a 24hr Elgin from around 1960, though, that has a dial that is definitely not military - white with raised gold numerals - and it's in a gold filled case with 'Cased and Timed by Elgin Nat'l Watch Co'. stamped inside the caseback.

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GeneJockey

· #3 · Apr 20, 2013

And here's my 781, newly ensconced in its Star A-11 case. It's an excellent fit!

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clow

· #4 · Apr 25, 2013

I like all white watches..

l3wy

· #5 · Apr 27, 2013 (Edited)

I have one as well, very nice looking, just wish they were bigger.. it looks a bit odd when I have it on. Had it on one of the canvas straps like it would have been issued with (I'm told), but it'd only fit if I had it in the last hole, and at that it'd be a little tight for me (I guess my wrist is around 7 3/4"). I swapped that strap for a nato, but it still just looks really small... So for now it sits mostly idle in my display case

I honestly doubt anyone else notices it being small when I wear it... I probably just need to wear it more to get used to it. For it's size, it's got to be the most readable of my 24 hour watches.

GeneJockey said:
And here's my 781, newly ensconced in its Star A-11 case. It's an excellent fit!

GeneJockey

· #6 · Apr 27, 2013

It's all what you normally wear, I guess. I wear exclusively American vintage, so this seems pretty average to me. I imagine a number of folks who buy these and similar on Ebay are a little surprised when they receive them, though.

l3wy

· #7 · May 1, 2013

Found this on ebay last night: RARE Men's Korean War Era Elgin Aviator Ordnance Watch w 24 Hour Dial Serviced | eBay

I won't be buying it myself.. that's quite a bit more than I could afford to pay for it... and I'm not sure if that's a good price for it or not.. it's the only one I've ever seen for sale though, so that says something...

GeneJockey

· #8 · May 1, 2013

It's another recased camera watch, and WAY overpriced! I paid $78 for the movement and dial, and $50 for a NOS A-11 case. I did need to service the movement and replace the 3rd wheel and sweep-seconds drive wheel, but that was no big deal.

They come up fairly often, actually. There's one seller who's made a business out of buying up old Elgin 8/0 watches, stripping out the movements and recasing them in A-11 cases. Some of these are sweep second movements and are sold with 24hr dials, and presumably 24hr minute and hour wheels as well. They generally go for under $300, but they're fakes.

l3wy

· #9 · May 2, 2013

I just noticed they didn't post a pic of the movement. I got suckered by the dial

There's a guy on there.. or a couple guys.. that sell 24 hr black and white redials with fraken movments ... the dials look pretty good, and I'd pick one up if they went cheap enough .. tried to hit them up just to get a dial, but never got a reply. (maybe that's the same seller you're referring to).

I paid.. I think $500 for mine . .and I know I overpaid .. but I can't say I regret it, the movement was beautiful and it was one of my first 24 hour watches (I consider it to be my first as the other was a bad raketa fraken)

I knew it was a re-cased camera watch, and I didn't care

I do still have to get used to wearing it though.

--
Marshall

GeneJockey

· #10 · May 2, 2013

The all-black dials come up for auction periodically, though of course there are only so many of them in the world so that can't go on forever! The thing about the black and white dials is that the color scheme makes no sense. It should be black top/white bottom - night and day. And they're too busy for my taste.

$500 for a recased camera watch might or might not be too much. There are a couple Elgin movements that fetch that much when recased and presented properly, the later 13/0 Durabalance models like the 781. I feel like I lucked out getting the movement for only $78! Still, $8 for the civilian-cased 729 is probably one of my best bargains ever. That and $59 for a solid gold Lord Elgin! ;-)

oreo57

· #11 · Jun 7, 2013

Hi,
Just sent this out for a crystal replacement. Thought you would like to see a variation:

Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap

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l3wy

· #12 · Jun 7, 2013

Very nice, there's a similar looking one that's been for sale on ebay for.. several months anyway. It looks like a great watch

I'd love to have one.

oreo57 said:
Hi,
Just sent this out for a crystal replacement. Thought you would like to see a variation:

GeneJockey

· #13 · Jun 13, 2013

Can you tell me what movement grade that one's got? THANKS!

dj898

· #14 · Jun 17, 2015

l3wy said:
I paid.. I think $500 for mine . .and I know I overpaid .. but I can't say I regret it, the movement was beautiful and it was one of my first 24 hour watches (I consider it to be my first as the other was a bad raketa fraken) I knew it was a re-cased camera watch, and I didn't care

--
Marshall

sorry for resurrecting the old thread.

not sure it was same seller(s) or someone else who picked up the same parts/source but I got my all black Bulova 24 hour dial for approx $80 plus S/H not so long ago. Came with cheap and nasty 16mm NATO strap and I swapped with canvas band which felt much better.

I've seen other Bay listings where the seller claimed his are genuine and all the rest were fake.

And selling his for a dollar short of a grand. And then there are those with $200+ listings... @[email protected]

Amusing thing is out of all manual winding watches I have this one keeps the most accurate time.

StopBuyingWatchesDamnIt

· #15 · Aug 21, 2020

I found this old WUS thread while trying to do research on something I found online--reactivating it (I hope) to ask: has anyone ever seen a legit Elgin A-11 that looks like the one shown here? I can't recall ever seeing this kind of 24-hour dial on an A-11 and am wondering: re-cased fake or franken or what?

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StopBuyingWatchesDamnIt

· #16 · Aug 21, 2020

Oh, and of course the seller posted no photo of the movement, though the case-back engraving seems genuine.

ned-ludd

· #17 · Aug 21, 2020

StopBuyingWatchesDamnIt said:
I can't recall ever seeing this kind of 24-hour dial on an A-11 and am wondering: re-cased fake or franken or what?

Dunno about it being genuine. I do know that it's not a 24-hour dial or movement.

Maybe ask over in the PilMil forum?

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StopBuyingWatchesDamnIt

· #18 · Aug 21, 2020

ned-ludd said:
I do know that it's not a 24-hour dial or movement.

Right, it's definitely a standard 12-hour, just with additional "military time" dial markings, but this thread was the closest I could find to describing the watch I'm trying to research. Thanks for the other forum suggestion. The seller says he can't open the case back so Imma prolly pass but it's interesting to say the least.

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