Vintage Gruen: 1930's » Quadron 109

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Re: Quadron 109 [message #11715 is a reply to message #7965]

Tue, 26 November 2019 16:18

JackW
Messages: 1931
Registered: May 2013
Location: Denver

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MonKee wrote on Fri, 07 April 2017 23:16

I really like that watch !! Fortunately I just recently acquired the same model and would really like to know where you got that beautiful strap !!

Since Oct 2017, this watch has been sitting on my bench. It pretty much looked like this when it arrived:
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=5621&private=0

The case was sent off to Peter Wuischpard - https://www.watchcaserepair.com/
Peter removed the poorly constructed lugs that had been soldered to the case. He also refinished the case. These bars are quite susceptible to being levered off. Pretty sure that is what happened to this watch. I've also seen this repair on other versions of this watch on eBay. FYI.... Bruce's is one of two I've ever seen with the original lugs on.

So using the images that Bruce posted and some others that he sent along, I though about how to make new bars. I thought that since the case is goldfilled that I could use flat GF sheet stock and fabricate a pair of them. I decided this was too hard. Lost wax casting was the other option and could do in sterling and then gold plate or in solid gold.
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=5622&private=0

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=5622&private=0

I chose the route with 14K lug bars.

The movement restoration was pretty straight forward, although the original one to the movement was pretty trashed. Happily two spare appeared on the swamp at pretty good prices. One thing I have discerned, these cal 123 with the gold-colored train bridges are just that. They are nicely engraved BUT they are nickle bridges that have been gold flashed.
It has taken two years but I finished the watch yesterday. Trim has been visiting the last 10 days and we have been quite prolific in moving things forward. I've finished 5 watches, two though were ones that I COA'd some time ago but developed some issue that I was able to diagnose and address with his help. Monty's watch has languished.... I've been agonizing over whether this would work or not and the 1st set of bars I actually damaged while trying to complete a minor repair as I was finishing them. There is about $150 of gold in the pair. The 2nd casting was a bit better prepaired and was able to finish them without issue.
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=5623&private=0

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=5623&private=0

I dropped in the movement; fyi the dial was re-stored by International:
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=5624&private=0

....and it looks pretty good on the wrist I think.
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=5625&private=0

I do need to find a better crown for it. That is the only hang up at this point.

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All I know is based on hard work & writing by others. I can only aspire to augment this body of knowledge. If I am wrong it is because of my own failings. -me

"If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Newton

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[Message index]

		Quadron 109 By: brtime on Fri, 07 April 2017 21:19
		Re: Quadron 109 By: JackW on Fri, 07 April 2017 23:01
		Re: Quadron 109 By: MonKee on Fri, 07 April 2017 23:16
		Re: Quadron 109 By: timeliz on Fri, 07 April 2017 23:38
		Re: Quadron 109 By: brtime on Sun, 09 April 2017 15:22
		Re: Quadron 109 By: afire on Sun, 09 April 2017 21:42
		Re: Quadron 109 By: Timeticker on Tue, 18 April 2017 23:35
		Re: Quadron 109 By: JackW on Tue, 26 November 2019 16:18
		Re: Quadron 109 By: brtime on Tue, 26 November 2019 17:52
		Re: Quadron 109 By: thesnark17 on Tue, 26 November 2019 22:35
		Re: Quadron 109 By: afire on Tue, 26 November 2019 22:45
		Re: Quadron 109 By: Case on Wed, 27 November 2019 04:17
		Re: Quadron 109 By: thesnark17 on Wed, 27 November 2019 15:03
		Re: Quadron 109 By: Case on Wed, 27 November 2019 16:37
		Re: Quadron 109 By: thesnark17 on Wed, 27 November 2019 17:19
		Re: Quadron 109 By: thesnark17 on Wed, 27 November 2019 17:57
		Re: Quadron 109 By: JackW on Thu, 28 November 2019 00:55
		Re: Quadron 109 By: Case on Thu, 28 November 2019 03:23
		Re: Quadron 109 By: thesnark17 on Thu, 28 November 2019 23:15
		Re: Quadron 109 By: afire on Mon, 02 December 2019 06:01
		Re: Quadron 109 By: Case on Tue, 03 December 2019 02:44
		Re: Quadron 109 By: thesnark17 on Tue, 03 December 2019 04:05
		Re: Quadron 109 By: afire on Tue, 03 December 2019 17:23

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