NAWCC Chapter 135 Raffle 

Here’s your chance to own a piece of American history!  This wristwatch can be yours if your raffle ticket is selected as the winner at the upcoming NAWCC Pacific NW Regional on May 16^th, 2026.  Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased from any NAWCC Chapter 135 officer.  Why should you buy tickets?  Keep reading to find out!

Below you will find out about the watch, and you will see it’s rather unique.  That and you will be helping Chapter 135 raise funds to put on the regional convention next year.  Thank you for this consideration – now read on!

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Up for raffle is this gorgeous B. W. Raymond watch.  Those who know Elgin watches know some of their high-grade watches were labeled with “B. W. Raymond” in honor of the company’s first president, Benjamin Wright Raymond.  These watches had the distinction of being one of the first railroad-approved watches and are excellent timekeepers.  They are also highly sought after and very collectable.  This watch is no exception and holds a few distinctions.  Listed below are some of those distinct items that make this watch unique.

First – it’s a wristwatch.  Most collectors know the B. W. Raymonds as pocket watches approved for railroad use.  This wristwatch is also approved for railroad use – a first for Elgin.

Second – it is the last American made Elgin movement before the company moved to Swiss movements.  Yes, imports were taking their toll when this watch was produced.

Third – to be approved for railroad use, requirements needed to be satisfied:

1. Be American made.  Yes, this is the last of its breed.

2. Jewel count must be 23 jewels or greater (for later railroad watches).  To satisfy that, this watch has a jeweled minute wheel post for a total count of 23 jewels – very unique.

3. The balance must be free sprung.  Elgin accomplished this by using weights on the balance arms; there are no balance screws or further adjustment mechanism.

4. Anti-magnetic protection – this watch has a painted iron dial with an internal iron movement spacer wrapped around the movement making the watch resistant to magnetism.  This creates somewhat of a Faraday cage design.

5. Adjusted to at least 5 positions – this watch is adjusted to 6 positions.

6. Indication of time with bold legible Arabic numerals – numbers on the dial are clear and not worn Arabic numerals.

Fourth – this watch hacks.  Pulling the crown out to set the time also stops the seconds hand which enables time to be set precisely to the second as desired.

The list below shows further physical characteristics of the watch:

·         Case width w/o crown:  35.3mm

·         Case width with crown:  37.2mm

·         Lug width:  19mm

·         Thickness:  9.3mm

·         Case material:  stainless steel

·         Band:  19mm gray leather quick change band

·         Small smudge on the dial under the 1 o’clock position

·         Case has little to no wear

·         New crystal has been fit

·         Circa 1940s-1950s manufacture

·         Fully serviced by Jeff Grieff, Certified Watchmaker and is ready to wear

The winner will be selected at the PNW Regional held at the Hilton Garden Inn (formerly the Monarch Hotel and Conference Center), in Clackamas, OR on May16th, 2026 during the Saturday buffet dinner. Winner need not be present to win, but after 3 days of no contact, an alternate winner will be selected. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased from any NAWCC Chapter 135 officer.