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Home » The Gruen Model Database » 1920's » cartouche 37
cartouche 37 [message #15732] Wed, 03 November 2021 22:34 Go to next message
Jenneke is currently offline  Jenneke
Messages: 1904
Registered: May 2013
Location: Netherlands
Gruen Authority
Model name: car. 37
Type: cartouche
Period/date: end of 1923
Gender: female

Case Maker: wadsworth
Case Material: 14k gold reinforced with metal
Case Serial: 761996
Case Style no: 59

Caliber: 833 (15 jewels, 4 adjts)
Movement Maker: aegler
Movement Serial: none

Bracelet: black ribbon with B&N 1-10 k pat 830021? Clasp

Other: nice scratched numbers inside bezel

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8690&private=0
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8691&private=0
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8692&private=0
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8693&private=0
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8694&private=0
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8695&private=0
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8696&private=0

Edit: named! (Or should say, numbered)

You can only waste time if you forget to enjoy it - Loesje

[Updated on: Thu, 04 November 2021 17:41]

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Re: Unknown cartouche enamel [message #15734 is a reply to message #15732] Wed, 03 November 2021 22:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ephemerald
Messages: 1039
Registered: October 2018
Location: City of Lake Salt
Gruen Authority
Hi Jenneke, this should be Cartouche 37. I love it and have one also. It's a design by Harry Schwettman assigned to Gruen for the term of 3 1/2 years. It's a classic.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8699&private=0

Matthias

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Re: Unknown cartouche enamel [message #15735 is a reply to message #15734] Wed, 03 November 2021 22:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ephemerald
Messages: 1039
Registered: October 2018
Location: City of Lake Salt
Gruen Authority
He also designed others like Cartouche 65.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8702&private=0

Matthias

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Re: Unknown cartouche enamel [message #15736 is a reply to message #15735] Wed, 03 November 2021 23:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jenneke is currently offline  Jenneke
Messages: 1904
Registered: May 2013
Location: Netherlands
Gruen Authority
it is a nice one indeed. Shame the glass is scratched. The greekish lines on the dial fits the model (and the gruen crest box) nicely.

From a little distance it looks the case has 4 diamonds in it.Not sure if that was the designed effect.

And sweet hand engraved little flowers on the back.

You can only waste time if you forget to enjoy it - Loesje

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Re: cartouche 37 [message #15740 is a reply to message #15732] Thu, 04 November 2021 02:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Case is currently offline  Case
Messages: 1178
Registered: May 2019
Location: Cincinnati
Gruen Authority
This was made early in 1924. Perhaps a first run?

[Updated on: Thu, 04 November 2021 02:46]

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Re: cartouche 37 [message #15743 is a reply to message #15740] Thu, 04 November 2021 06:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jenneke is currently offline  Jenneke
Messages: 1904
Registered: May 2013
Location: Netherlands
Gruen Authority
Early, like around the filed date?

How can you see that? 833 third or fourth gen? Wadsworth case number?

You can only waste time if you forget to enjoy it - Loesje

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Re: cartouche 37 [message #15744 is a reply to message #15743] Thu, 04 November 2021 13:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Case is currently offline  Case
Messages: 1178
Registered: May 2019
Location: Cincinnati
Gruen Authority
I have to correct myself, was going off memory. Your case was made at the very end of 1923, one of Wadsworth's last 2-3 production runs for Gruen in 1923. I would assume this was a "new for 1924" model, that your watch was launch production. It was, I am certain, made before the patent filing date.

After years of looking for an absolutely certain (documented at the time) case production benchmark in the early 1920s, I've found one for Wadsworth. And it corresponds to Jan 1st 1924.

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Re: cartouche 37 [message #15746 is a reply to message #15744] Thu, 04 November 2021 15:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barney Green
Messages: 1747
Registered: February 2014
Location: Wolfsburg, Germany
Gruen Authority
I agree with Dan. Late 1923 production date for the Wadsworth case would be in line with the dating chart based on my own watches. Marketing of Cartouche 37 started exactly February 1st, 1924 btw.
As Gruen had to load the channel for the launch the first batch of cases will have been produced in late 1923 already.

Gruen, Gruen, Gruen ist alles was ich habe... Gruen, Gruen, Gruen is all I have...(German folklore song)

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Re: cartouche 37 [message #15752 is a reply to message #15746] Thu, 04 November 2021 17:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jenneke is currently offline  Jenneke
Messages: 1904
Registered: May 2013
Location: Netherlands
Gruen Authority
Gosh. That is new for me. Wouldnt it be tricky to make a case before filing? Some other watch maker could have copied it?

You can only waste time if you forget to enjoy it - Loesje

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Re: cartouche 37 [message #15767 is a reply to message #15752] Mon, 08 November 2021 02:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Case is currently offline  Case
Messages: 1178
Registered: May 2019
Location: Cincinnati
Gruen Authority
My understanding of patent law is they’d have at least a year after intro to file it. Not sure what law was in 1920s though.

Kudos to Matthias for finding the patents. Interesting these—among myriad other designs in play—were filed. Or maybe these were the ones approved (more filed)? But a “patented” stamp shows up in only these cases.

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Re: cartouche 37 [message #15871 is a reply to message #15752] Wed, 01 December 2021 22:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ephemerald
Messages: 1039
Registered: October 2018
Location: City of Lake Salt
Gruen Authority
1930 ad featuring Cartouche 37:.


/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=8813&private=0

Matthias

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Re: cartouche 37 [message #15872 is a reply to message #15871] Thu, 02 December 2021 03:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
thesnark17 is currently offline  thesnark17
Messages: 654
Registered: January 2017
Gruen Master
It looks like the bezel is intended to imitate diamonds. This effect was common in jewelry from the '20s and particularly '30s (when there was less disposable income lying around).

Sometimes very small diamonds were set in the center of designs like these. It is called an "illusion setting". Since there is a real stone involved, it looks a lot more real. Not done that way in Gruen watches as far as I know though.

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Re: cartouche 37 [message #15873 is a reply to message #15872] Thu, 02 December 2021 11:11 Go to previous message
Jenneke is currently offline  Jenneke
Messages: 1904
Registered: May 2013
Location: Netherlands
Gruen Authority
That optical illusion does work! Smart solution.

You can only waste time if you forget to enjoy it - Loesje

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