<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2018-12-19</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000061004</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>LGL GROUP INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>LGL</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001233348</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>GABELLI MARC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O THE LGL GROUP, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>2525 SHADER ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ORLANDO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>FL</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>32804</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-12-19</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1629</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>6.14</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>59114</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>764303</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Shares held by Ltd. Partnership</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">These shares were awarded to the Reporting Person pursuant to the Issuer's Amended and Restated 2011 Incentive Plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">This filing does not include the holdings by GGCP, Inc. of 476,937 shares of LGL Group, Inc., which have been included in the Form 4 filing of Mario J. Gabelli, dated August 6, 2018.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">These shares are beneficially owned by Venator Merchant Fund, L.P. (&quot;Venator Fund&quot;) and Venator Global LLC (&quot;Venator Global&quot;). Venator Global, which is the sole general partner of Venator Fund, is deemed to have beneficial ownership of the securities owned by Venator Fund. Marc Gabelli is the President of Venator Fund.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/Marc Gabelli</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-12-26</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
