Established in 1920 by the Elgin National Watch Company, the Elgin National Watch Company, the Elgin Watchmaker’s College was created in response to a demand for training skilled watch craftsmen.
First to be accredited by the United Horologist Association of America and the Horologist Association of America and the Horological Institute of America, the Elgin Watchmaker’s College has long enjoyed the highest reputation for watchmaking training. Students are in close contact with the famous traditions of Elgin craftsmanship, and they enjoy the benefits of the many Elgin technical developments.
Durting World War II, the Elgin Watchmaker’s College was selected by the Ordinance Department of the United States Army to train soldiers to repair watches.
Since the cessation of histilities, the colege, working with the Veterans Administration, has trained both able-bodied and disabled veterans under the GI Bill of Rights in the art of watchmaking.
Alby directed by internationally known William H. Samelius, the students enrolled in the college enjoy a competent corps of experienced instructors, well versed in both the theory and the practical aspects of watchmaking. This policy pays off for the watchmaker.
Time from the stars
Elgin is the only Watch Company maintaining its own astronoical observatory for computing exact time from the stars. Constantly vigilant, its instruments observe, record and broadcast time from the stars-time accurate to hundredth of a second. This time is relayed to timers within the factory, which click off the seconds and provide the exact time from which all Elgin watches are so accurately rated, regulated and adjusted.
