What was the biggest (in numbers) selling individual American pocket watch (excluding dollar pw)?

[1908]

What was the biggest (in numbers) selling individual American pocket watch (excluding dollar pw)?

By the above I mean the biggest selling PW in a model and grade (like a model 1908 Traveler for example), not counting other grades in a specific model.

Stephen

 

[roughbarked]

No idea but I'm watching and waiting.

 

[topspin]

For the Walthams, you can do your own research if you search for each of the individual common models (e.g. 1883, 1890, 1891, 1894, 1908 etc) in turn, here - NAWCC-Info

You'll find copy-&-paste into Excel to be useful.

Then you can have lots of fun deciding for yourself, things like whether "Seaside J" should be treated as the same thing as "Seaside", or whether "No 1 Sterling" is the same thing as "No 1", "Sterling", or neither.
You could also ponder whether to treat the 1899 & 1908 models separately or mash them together ; whether to treat different jewel counts separately ; and whether to lump all the openface/hunter/keywind configurations of the same grade together.
The fun never stops

You'll probably finish up with a figure that's a little way past the 1 million mark. (Example - maybe around 1.5 million for the humble 210.)

I predict we will soon see a far higher figure quoted for an Elgin or a Hamilton.

 

[musicguy]

If I had to guess (highest number of a single grade), I would say Elgin because they made
the most watches out of all of the American Watch makers. I have not done this research.
It could also very easily be Waltham because Elgin had so many different grades.

It is interesting about Production and Value; I have watches that less than 2000 were made and they
are worth substantially less than some where 30-70 thousand were made.


Rob

 

[1908]

Then you can have lots of fun deciding for yourself, things like whether "Seaside J" should be treated as the same thing as "Seaside", or whether "No 1 Sterling" is the same thing as "No 1", "Sterling", or neither.
You could also ponder whether to treat the 1899 & 1908 models separately or mash them together ; whether to treat different jewel counts separately ; and whether to lump all the openface/hunter/keywind configurations of the same grade together.
The fun never stops

I think I may have underestimated how hard this question will be to give an accurate answer. Must admit I hadn't really considered the excellent points you make above.

Stephen

 

[musicguy]

I don't think it would take too long to figure it out.


Rob

 

[Nathan Moore]

What was the biggest (in numbers) selling individual American pocket watch (excluding dollar pw)?

By the above I mean the biggest selling PW in a model and grade (like a model 1908 Traveler for example), not counting other grades in a specific model.

Stephen

I have actually been working with production metrics like this recently to study statistical rarity, so your question is very timely.

Here are the top ten grade/size/model variations from American factories when analyzing serialized production:

1. Elgin Grade 303 (12s, Model 3): ~2,215,000
2. Elgin Grade 541 (21/0s, Model 2): ~1,687,000
3. Elgin Grade 291 (16s, Model 7): ~1,687,000
4. Waltham Grade No. 210 (12s, Model 1894): ~1,449,299
5. Elgin Grade 554 (8/0s, Model 7): ~1,298,000
6. Elgin Grade 488 (18/0s, Model 1): ~1,283,000
7. New York Standard Grade Columbia 44 (6s, Model 1): ~1,265,000 [Note: Only accounts for serialized production]
8. Elgin Grade 533 (21/0s, Model 2): ~1,120,000
9. Waltham Grade No. 1 (18s, Model 1883): ~1,056,920
10. Elgin Grade 315 (12s, Model 3): ~1,033,900

Hope that helps.

 

[musicguy]

Nathan,

I was waiting for you to respond.


Rob

 

[topspin]

A few quick ebay searches have taught me that grades 488, 554, 541, 533 are all usually seen in wristwatch form. Is it possible to continue the list downwards until we get to (say) 10 or 20 that are all usually seen in pocket watch trim please?
I wonder how many more 7J and/or 12s grades we will see.

 

[1908]

I have actually been working with production metrics like this recently to study statistical rarity, so your question is very timely.

Here are the top ten grade/size/model variations from American factories when analyzing serialized production:

1. Elgin Grade 303 (12s, Model 3): ~2,215,000
2. Elgin Grade 541 (21/0s, Model 2): ~1,687,000
3. Elgin Grade 291 (16s, Model 7): ~1,687,000
4. Waltham Grade No. 210 (12s, Model 1894): ~1,449,299
5. Elgin Grade 554 (8/0s, Model 7): ~1,298,000
6. Elgin Grade 488 (18/0s, Model 1): ~1,283,000
7. New York Standard Grade Columbia 44 (6s, Model 1): ~1,265,000 [Note: Only accounts for serialized production]
8. Elgin Grade 533 (21/0s, Model 2): ~1,120,000
9. Waltham Grade No. 1 (18s, Model 1883): ~1,056,920
10. Elgin Grade 315 (12s, Model 3): ~1,033,900

Hope that helps.

Many thanks for posting the production numbers Nathan. Elgin make it 7 times in the top 10. Interesting that the Waltham model 1883 was the best seller for an 18 size pw. Clear winner though by quite a healthy margin is the Elgin 303. I wonder how many of the Elgin 303 survive to this day!

Stephen