Vintage 1953 Elgin 6519 Black Face Tank
With a patina’d black dial with super-cool numerals that just scream “vintage,” this 1953 Elgin tank really stands out. The in-house 673 manual movement was designed and manufactured in the USA, an increasing rarity at the time as Swiss movements were taking over the industry. The 10K RGP case has wear befitting a 70+ year old watch, but still looks great.
With a patina’d black dial with super-cool numerals that just scream “vintage,” this 1953 Elgin tank really stands out. The in-house 673 manual movement was designed and manufactured in the USA, an increasing rarity at the time as Swiss movements were taking over the industry. The 10K RGP case has wear befitting a 70+ year old watch, but still looks great.
With a patina’d black dial with super-cool numerals that just scream “vintage,” this 1953 Elgin tank really stands out. The in-house 673 manual movement was designed and manufactured in the USA, an increasing rarity at the time as Swiss movements were taking over the industry. The 10K RGP case has wear befitting a 70+ year old watch, but still looks great.
Here are a few more details about this beautiful timepiece:
Manufacturer: Elgin
Model: 6519
Movement: Elgin 673 (17 Jewels)
Year (Best Est.): 1953
Movement Type: Manual
Shock Protected: No
Case Type: 10K RGP Clamshell with Stainless Steel Back
Case Width: 22 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Lug Width (Band Size): 16 (16)
Condition Notes
Restored/Polished crystal
New balance
New mainspring
Strong patina on dial
As with some watches that use a clamshell case, movement fits slightly loosely in the case back. This does not affect functionality.
Study photographs carefully!
Important Note on the Watch Band
Please note that the band pictured is NOT included with watch purchase. I generally acquire new bands for display purposes and do not include them because they vary significantly in price and many purchasers will want to obtain their own band as suits their taste.
However, if you are interested in purchasing the band pictured in the photos along with the watch, it will be available at or near my replacement cost as an optional add-on. If you don’t see it as an option in the listing please message me for help. I am also happy to point you to where you can purchase the exact same band directly from the seller.
If you have questions about bands or want my assistance, please message me. I’m happy to help.
Standard Disclaimer
I make every effort to ensure that the vintage watches I work on are both accurate enough to serve as practical timepieces and reliable enough to be worn and enjoyed for many years to come. That said, vintage watches are delicate and, like any mechanical device, subject to wear.
Therefore, I cannot provide any express or implied warranty for this watch, beyond the fact that it is running, and it is being sold AS IS.
Additional notes
· Servicing and restoration followed the process described in detail here.
Vintage watches are delicate - particularly older models that lack shock protection. Please handle with care
Regardless of what it says on the case, I do not attempt to restore watches to a fully waterproof condition. Please keep this watch away from water and definitely do not submerge it.
If the watch is an automatic, I recommend that you use the hand wind feature sparingly to minimize wear on the automatic winding mechanism.
I do like to stand behind my work, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any problems. I will correct any obvious defects in my workmanship free of charge and will provide lifetime service (as long as I am able) for vintage timepieces that I have restored at heavily discounted rates.
Regarding Parts Originality
I know that some collectors are very concerned with originality of parts. I will list any parts that I replace, internally or externally, in the condition notes above. I will also make a good faith effort to assess whether any of the watch parts (e.g. dial, crown or hands, etc.) may have been replaced or refinished prior to my acquisition of the watch and, if I believe it is likely they were, I will also indicate this in the condition notes above. However, I cannot make any bedrock guarantees regarding originality of parts. I work on many different watch brands and lack the deep expertise on the history of any given brand that would be necessary to do so.