Estimating production statistics for the 27 and 30 jewel Elgin automatics is difficult for two main reasons: (1) the loss of records after Elgin’s U.S. production ended in the 1960s; and (2) Elgin’s decision to stop applying individual serial numbers to American-built watch movements around 1955-56, several years before the 27/30 jewel automatics were introduced.
Nonetheless, taking into account all the information we have, we estimate that the total production of 27 and 30 jewel Elgin automatics was 200,000 units, with a 60:40 or 65:35 split between the Elgin 27 jewel and Lord Elgin 30 jewel lines. We base this on how often the 27/30 jewel automatics appear for sale compared to the approximately 40,000 Elgin 18 jewel “bumper” automatics made a decade earlier.
For the rarer watches in the 27/30 jewel line, we compare how often they appear against Elgin’s “50 millionth” 18k gold watch from 1951 (1,000 pieces made).
The rarity estimates for individual 27/30 jewel models (e.g., 27 jewel model “D”) are as follows:
R-5 = Estimated production under 100 pieces, and estimated 1-10 known, "Extremely Rare"
R-4 = Estimated production under 200 pieces, and estimated 11-20 known, "Rare"
R-3 = Estimated production under 500 pieces, and estimated 21-50 known, "Scarce"
R-2 = Estimated production under 1,000 pieces, and estimated 51-100 known, "Uncommon”
R-1 = Estimated production over 1,000 pieces, and estimated 100+ known, "Common"
Some of the more common “R-1” models, such as Elgin’s 27 jewel model “A”, were probably made in the tens of thousands, although there are scarce dial variants among these.
