{"product_id":"1940s-elgin-usn-buships-canteen-watch-wwii","title":"*Unpolished* 1944 Elgin USN BUSHIPS \"Canteen\" Watch WWII","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Elgin canteen-style USN BUSHIPS watch is an incredibly cool, purpose-built classic from WWII. ‘BUSHIPS,’ which stands for the United States Navy’s Bureau of Ships, was a group established by Congress on June 20, 1940 (and abolished by 1966) to supervise procurement, overall design, construction, conversion, maintenance, and repair of ships for the Navy. The establishment also managed shipyards and the many tasks involved with keeping operations running smoothly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese Elgin USN canteen watches were issued to the NCDU (members of the Naval Combat Demolition Units) and underwater demolition teams (UDT) – the teams responsible for clearing the harbors and obstructions within them during the war. As a result, those men needed robust watches that could withstand a whole lot of underwater activity – and since the crown is one of the most common places for water to sneak into a watch case, Elgin and other watch companies engineered the seemingly overkill design of the chained crown cover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an incredibly rare and very cool timepiece with a ton of military panache – and probably more than a few stories to tell if it were able to talk.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSPECS\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"specs\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\" width=\"47%\"\u003eStock #\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\" width=\"2%\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\" width=\"47%\"\u003eEGNBSHIPUSN-2\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eBrand\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eElgin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eStyle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eWWII Military Watch\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eModel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eUSN Buships \"Canteen\"\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eSerial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e1267C \/ T7XXXXX\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eSize\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eMen's \/ Unisex\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eMaterial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eStainless Steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eDial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eMatte Black\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eMillimeters\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e31.5\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003eStrap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"height: 22px;\"\u003e2pc Military-Style Canvas Strap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCASE \u0026amp; BRACELET\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe anti-reflective stainless steel case remains remarkably crisp and unpolished, showing exceptional preservation for a watch intended for military service. The bead-blasted smooth bezel is similarly well-preserved. The case retains its original, unsigned, bead-blasted crown, housed beneath the oversized “canteen”-style screw-down crown cover. The case back exhibits only minor tool marks, with the original “U.S.N.” engraving and military serial number remaining untouched and sharply defined. The watch comes supplied on an era-correct two-piece blue canvas strap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDIAL \u0026amp; HANDS\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe matte black dial remains impressively well-preserved for its age, with no significant marks or scratches and only subtle, age-appropriate patina. The moisture indicator between the 7 and 8 o’clock markers is absent, as is often encountered on these examples. Upon close inspection, the debossed “ELGIN” and “USN BUSHIPS” signatures remain visible in tonal black below 12 o’clock and above 6 o’clock, respectively. The original radium lume plots have aged to a rich golden hue, perfectly matching the lume within the syringe-style hands. Under UV inspection, the lume on both the dial and in the hands shows no evidence of degradation and appears fully intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eACCESSORIES \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone. The watch is running, but prior service history is unknown. A movement service can be purchased upon request.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Elgin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67798088319085,"sku":"EGNBSHIPUSN-2","price":5100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1104\/9180\/files\/15102026_BUSHIPS_01_3658eae1-d720-44ec-bc08-15f063fc0869.jpg?v=1792458451","url":"https:\/\/www.craftandtailored.com\/products\/1940s-elgin-usn-buships-canteen-watch-wwii","provider":"Craft + Tailored","version":"1.0","type":"link"}