In the final years of American watchmaking, Elgin launched an innovative line of luxury 27- and 30-jewel self-winding watches. Widely considered the only American-designed and made automatic watches, these rare timepieces are often called the “Forgotten Masterpieces.”

Read new articles on the history of Elgin watches; what factors destroyed the U.S. watch industry; and the fabulous 27- and 30-jewel automatic watches Elgin made from 1959-1963, including the curious story of these watches’ names.

🚧 Site under construction. Check back in mid-2025 for more information on various Elgin 27/30j watch models.

Elgin 27-jewel Model A automatic watch, 1960