Elgin 524

Description

The American Elgin 524 caliber, of which well over 150,000 units were produced in the 1930s, is a movement of highly sophisticated design, both visually and, above all, technically.

It measures 23.25 mm, or 8/0s according to American sizing standards.

The first thing one notices is that all the bearing jewels, from the minute wheel to the pallet fork pivot, are set in chatons (gold-colored metal bushings) rather than being pressed directly into the plates; this applies to both the mainplate and the bridges. This arrangement facilitates the replacement of a jewel should the need arise.

Since the minute wheel is also jeweled on both sides, the movement achieves the popular total of 17 jewels without the need for additional cap jewels.

The gear train features a classic layout: the barrel drives the central minute wheel directly, followed by the third wheel, the decentral seconds wheel at 6 o’clock, and the escape wheel of the Swiss lever escapement.

The seconds wheel and escape wheel are mounted beneath a dedicated, elegantly curved bridge, while the barrel, minute wheel, and third wheel are supported by the barrel bridge, which also features an elegant, curved design.

A nice detail is the beveling of the plates.

A bimetallic screw balance serves as the regulating organ, not yet shock-protected, featuring a hairspring with a Breguet overcoil. With this setup and the aid of a long regulator arm, the Elgin 524 can be precisely regulated to a beat rate of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour.

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On the dial side, one can clearly see the installed yoke winding mechanism and its uniquely shaped setting lever spring.

Technical data

Usage gallery