Elgin Serial Numbers and Production Dates
Date your Elgin watch by comparing your serial number to those in the table below. The first Elgin watch was serial number 101, produced in April 1867. The 50-millionth watch was a Lord Elgin wristwatch produced in 1951. This table will just give you a rough estimate for your Elgin watch. The best way to get a date for your Elgin watch is to use the database at ElginWatches.org. It will also give you additional information about the grade, jewels, etc. The database was compiled by scanning and OCR'ing the 1950 serial number list, which was then compared against the Dennis Booth database, as well as the list created by John Miller in Roy Ehrhardt's "Elgin Watch Company" book. The data was also compared to the 1896 material catalog, the Elgin Master Records, and various information sources from the Internet.
| 1867 - 9,000 (Dec) | 1885 - 1,855,001 (5/28) | 1903 - 10,000,000 (5/15) | 1921 - 24,321,001 (7/6) | 1939 - 38,200,000 |
| 1868 - 25,001 (11/20) | 1886 - 2,000,000 (8/4) | 1904 - 11,000,000 (4/4) | 1922 - 25,100,000 | 1940 - 39,100,000 |
| 1869 - 40,001 (5/20) | 1887 - 2,500,000 | 1905 - 12,000,000 (10/6) | 1923 - 26,050,000 | 1941 - 40,200,000 |
| 1870 - 50,001 (8/24) | 1888 - 3,000,000 (6/20) | 1906 - 12,500,000 | 1924 - 27,000,000 | 1942 - 41,100,000 |
| 1871 - 185,001 (9/8) | 1889 - 3,500,000 | 1907 - 13,000,000 (4/4) | 1925 - 28,421,001 (7/14) | 1943 - 42,200,000 |
| 1872 - 201,001 (12/20) | 1890 - 4,000,000 (8/16) | 1908 - 13,500,000 | 1926 - 29,100,000 | 1944 - 42,600,000 |
| 1873 - 325,000 | 1891 - 4,449,001 (3/26) | 1909 - 14,000,000 (2/9) | 1927 - 30,050,000 | 1945 - 43,200,000 |
| 1874 - 400,001 (8/28) | 1892 - 4,600,000 | 1910 - 15,000,000 (4/2) | 1928 - 31,599,001 (1/11) | 1946 - 44,000,000 |
| 1875 - 430,000 | 1893 - 5,000,000 (7/1) | 1911 - 16,000,000 (7/11) | 1929 - 32,000,000 | 1947 - 45,000,000 |
| 1876 - 480,000 | 1894 - 5,500,000 | 1912 - 17,000,000 (11/6) | 1930 - 32,599,001 (July) | 1948 - 46,000,000 |
| 1877 - 520,000 | 1895 - 6,000,000 (11/26) | 1913 - 17,339,001 (4/14) | 1931 - 33,000,000 | 1949 - 47,000,000 |
| 1878 - 570,000 | 1896 - 6,500,000 | 1914 - 18,000,000 | 1932 - 33,700,000 | 1950 - 48,000,000 |
| 1879 - 625,001 (2/8) | 1897 - 7,000,000 (10/28) | 1915 - 18,587,001 (2/11) | 1933 - 34,558,001 | 1951 - 50,000,000 (9/7) |
| 1880 - 750,000 | 1898 - 7,494,000 (5/14) | 1916 - 19,000,000 | 1934 - 35,000,000 | 1952 - 52,000,000 |
| 1881 - 900,000 | 1899 - 8,000,000 (1/18) | 1917 - 20,031,001 (6/27) | 1935 - 35,650,000 | 1953 - 53,500,000 |
| 1882 - 1,000,000 (3/9) | 1900 - 9,000,000 (11/14) | 1918 - 21,000,000 | 1936 - 36,200,000 | 1954 - 54,000,000 |
| 1883 - 1,250,000 | 1901 - 9,300,000 | 1919 - 22,000,000 | 1937 - 36,978,001 (7/24) | 1955 - 54,500,000 |
| 1884 - 1,500,000 | 1902 - 9,600,000 | 1920 - 23,000,000 | 1938 - 37,900,000 | 1956 - 55,000,000 |