A short video to talk you through some details of US Army wristwatches of World War 2. The Elgin grades 532, 539 (A-11 hack), 554 and 580 are shown, explaining the differences and some points to look out for. Also, two Bulova watches of the same era and similar specifications. These watches are all in working order. An important point is that movements could be replaced and that means it's very hard to know if the movement is original to the watch. It's no surprise that during and after the war there was every possibility of swapping them around. That's why it's not unusual to find an A-11 Elgin hack case housing a 532 non-hacking movement instead of the correct hacking movement (that means the second hand should stop when the crown is pulled out so the watch can be set to an exact time). If you want to look up an Elgin serial number, try this site: [ Ссылка ] and if you want a site with the Bulova date codes, try here: [ Ссылка ]
One thing to note is that the A-11 watches and the Elgin 532 have a central second hand and the wheels involved are visibly different from the other watches in this video with the small second hand in the lower part of the face.
I have only featured Elgins and Bulovas because that's all I have. There are of course Walthams and Hamiltons, and military personnel could of course have their own watches. As for value, a working A-11 in good order which has been serviced and has the right hands and a movement that matches the back is going to set you back $250 or more. A service is going to cost around $100. Parts availability: very tricky. Some parts can be had, but others are now elusive or impossible. If your watch breaks it might be cheaper to replace it - it will certainly be less trouble.
