{"product_id":"vintage-16s-1943-elgin-b-w-raymond-pocket-watch-581-gct-24-hour-dial-military","title":"Vintage 16s 1943 Elgin B.W. Raymond Pocket Watch 581 GCT 24 Hour Dial Military","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"right\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eProduct Description\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eItem:\u003c\/b\u003e Pocket Watch\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eBrand:\u003c\/b\u003e Elgin Natl Watch Co\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eModel:\u003c\/b\u003e B.W. Raymond\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 16s\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eYear:\u003c\/b\u003e 1943\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMovement:\u003c\/b\u003e Mechanical\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eJewels:\u003c\/b\u003e 22\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGrade:\u003c\/b\u003e 581\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCountry:\u003c\/b\u003e USA\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGender:\u003c\/b\u003e Unisex\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eProduct Measurements\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eStandardized Size for Pocket Watches:\u003c\/b\u003e 16s\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDiameter:\u003c\/b\u003e 42mm\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eProduct Condition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVintage 16s 1943 Elgin B.W. Raymond Pocket Watch 581 GCT 24 Hour Dial Military ran on Greenwich Civil Time (the Allied standardized time zone, similar to modern UTC). This ensured all aircraft and naval vessels coordinated across the globe using the exact same reference time, eliminating confusion across local time zones. The 24-hour dial layout prevented catastrophic calculation errors by ensuring navigators never confused morning and evening hours during long missions.  They featured a \"hacking\" mechanism that stopped the second hand when the crown was pulled. This allowed crews to synchronize their watches down to the exact second before a mission to accurately calculate longitude and coordinates. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eOverall Condition:\u003c\/b\u003e Poor, overall condition\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFunctions:\u003c\/b\u003e Not running\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCase:\u003c\/b\u003e Shows heavy scratches. Has plating wear.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCrystal:\u003c\/b\u003e Shows scratches and scuffings. Has acrylic yellowing.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDial condition:\u003c\/b\u003e Has spotting.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCrown:\u003c\/b\u003e Shows scratches.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHands:\u003c\/b\u003e Hands are discolored.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFunction:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWinding:\u003c\/b\u003e Does not wind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eBalance:\u003c\/b\u003e The balance staff is broken\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAdditional Information:\u003c\/b\u003e It is missing the sweep wheel.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eElgin: Founded in 1864 as the National Watch Company, Elgin produced watches in Elgin, Illinois at what was once the world’s largest dedicated watch factory. By 1910, the company had built its own observatory to improve timekeeping accuracy. Like many manufacturers, Elgin shifted to military production during World War II. Postwar competition from Swiss imports eventually led to the sale of the company in 1968. While the original Elgin company no longer exists, its legacy lives on through a vast catalog of excellent vintage watches.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cscript\u003e\n    document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() {\n        \/\/ Select all 'li' elements in the 'right' class div\n        const listItems = document.querySelectorAll('.right ul li span');\n        \n        listItems.forEach(span =\u003e {\n            \/\/ Check if the dynamic tag's content is empty\n            if (span.textContent.trim() === '') {\n                \/\/ Hide the parent 'li' element if the dynamic tag is empty\n                span.parentNode.style.display = 'none';\n            }\n        });\n    \n        \/\/ Select the paragraph in the 'right' class div for the condition note\n        const conditionNote = document.querySelector('.right p span');\n        if (conditionNote.textContent.trim() === '') {\n            \/\/ Hide the paragraph if the dynamic tag is empty\n            conditionNote.parentNode.style.display = 'none';\n        }\n    });\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"Elgin Natl Watch Co","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50983439696097,"sku":"09292026141129","price":400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/8232\/5729\/files\/1791302853112_8ba305186e491704d9e86a10_PW_893_-_18_of_92.jpg?v=1791957906","url":"https:\/\/thepartspreserve.com\/products\/vintage-16s-1943-elgin-b-w-raymond-pocket-watch-581-gct-24-hour-dial-military","provider":"The Parts Preserve","version":"1.0","type":"link"}