Vintage Gruen: 1940's » Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing

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Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #8382]

Mon, 18 September 2017 08:43

Thojil
Messages: 650
Registered: May 2013
Location: Concorès, France

Gruen Master

Model name : Ristside Falcon
Type : Curvex
Period/date : 1949
Gender : Male

Case Maker : APEX Watch Case Company Co.
Case Material : 10k Gold Filled
Case Serial : C27761
Case Style no : 440-641

Caliber : 440
Movement Maker : Gruen
Movement Serial: C2430

Bracelet : Original Gruen. The original strap however may have been a special strap allowing you to wear it on the side of your wrist with the buckle centrally positioned under your wrist (need confirmation).

Other info : The same case fitted with a metal stretch band was named the Fraternity. In addition to the black dial a silver dial existed as well.
The same time Gruen launched a solid gold version with a different case design named Royalty.

The launch ad from November 1949 is promoting the Ristside models as "the first major advance in watch making design since the introduction of the wristwatch". Interestingly Gruen is not capitalising on their own history by making reference to the earlier 1938-1939 models like the Lord, Envoy and Admiral which apparently were not very successful. The early models could only be worn on the side of the wrist while these new Ristside models with their flexible lugs could be worn either way. I guess Gruen did learn from their mistakes in the past...

index.php?t=getfile&id=3462&private=0

Attachment: Gruen Curvex Ristside Falcon cal.440 2.5.jpg
(Size: 421.10KB, Downloaded 1950 times)
Attachment: Gruen Curvex Ristside Falcon cal.440 2.3.jpg
(Size: 222.33KB, Downloaded 1967 times)
Attachment: Gruen Curvex Ristside Falcon cal.440 2.1.jpg
(Size: 433.07KB, Downloaded 2012 times)
Attachment: Gruen Curvex Ristside Falcon cal.440 2.2.jpg
(Size: 344.35KB, Downloaded 1983 times)
Attachment: 1949 Ristside models.JPG
(Size: 177.46KB, Downloaded 2003 times)

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Re: Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #8383 is a reply to message #8382]

Mon, 18 September 2017 12:57

kastner
Messages: 339
Registered: May 2013
Location: Pasadena CA

Gruen Guildsman

Wait, a different band changed it from a Falcon to a Fraternity? I never knew that, thanks for the great info (and for posting the nice watch too). My black dial is SN C22619 and my silver dial is SN V33492.

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Re: Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #18563 is a reply to message #8383]

Sun, 20 August 2023 08:34

Falcon
Messages: 16
Registered: July 2023

Gruen Apprentice

The Falcon doesn't have numbers all the way around the dial

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Re: Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #18564 is a reply to message #18563]

Sun, 20 August 2023 19:34

Barney Green
Messages: 1755
Registered: February 2014
Location: Wolfsburg, Germany

Gruen Authority

Dials are not binding at Gruen, they often randomly changed at many models.

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

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Re: Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #18565 is a reply to message #18564]

Tue, 22 August 2023 13:54

Falcon
Messages: 16
Registered: July 2023

Gruen Apprentice

Then what's the difference between the Fraternity and a Falcon? That's the only difference I can see between them in the factory advertisement.

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Re: Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #18566 is a reply to message #18565]

Tue, 22 August 2023 16:06

afire
Messages: 1355
Registered: May 2013
Location: Wisconsin

Gruen Authority

The Falcon came with a leather strap and the Fraternity came with a gold filled bracelet. Gruen often assigned different names for the same watch based on that distinction.

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Re: Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #18567 is a reply to message #18566]

Tue, 22 August 2023 22:19

Falcon
Messages: 16
Registered: July 2023

Gruen Apprentice

Then basically they are the same watch? There aren't many around with the original band.

[Updated on: Tue, 22 August 2023 22:24]

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Re: Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #18568 is a reply to message #18567]

Wed, 23 August 2023 09:22

Barney Green
Messages: 1755
Registered: February 2014
Location: Wolfsburg, Germany

Gruen Authority

Yes, the watch itself is the same.

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

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Re: Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #18569 is a reply to message #18568]

Wed, 23 August 2023 14:22

Falcon
Messages: 16
Registered: July 2023

Gruen Apprentice

Would you say one dial is more rare then the other? Most of the ones I seen on line have the numbers all the way around the dial but that may just be me.

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Re: Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing [message #18570 is a reply to message #18565]

Thu, 24 August 2023 01:52

C. Hurt
Messages: 243
Registered: May 2013

Gruen Guildsman

As afire mentioned, it was Gruen’s practice to use different names to indicate which type of band (leather strap or metal bracelet) the watch was sold with. But like everything else with Gruen, this doesn’t occur all of the time.

The full italic dial is more commonly seen, but I don’t know of any documentation that is available to establish numbers.

[Updated on: Thu, 24 August 2023 01:59]

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