| Re: Oval Ribbon Wristlet [message #14775 is a reply to message #14774] |
Thu, 15 April 2021 16:00   |
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Case
Messages: 1178
Registered: May 2019
Location: Cincinnati
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Gruen Authority |
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 --slippery, but can't get away!
Yours is not the first on the forum with these markings and a 1920ish movement. Rewind to Jack's post from 2013: swiss import sterling case #42. That's what first started me down this road. link may work; or search "not silver bells, but it is sterling"
I also find very few movement swaps among women's watches (unlike the heavily-swapped quadrons). The market has never been there to incentivize it. They were either scrapped or left unrepaired. So I would not first assume your case is 5 years earlier than your movement; I'd look at it first as "can this be original?"
Look back from the 1910-1917 watches previously shared, and the case numbers are high.
Separately, you'll see that other Gold swiss import case numbers from the early 1921/22 period are also around 1k or below. Liz's 849 is the most beautiful, so I'll share it.
Liz's 849
Markings same as yours & Jack's--but different material (14k). I propose that this is the start of the "Import" case number line, which grew only to about 7,000 by the late 1920s. Gruen was restructuring their portfolio; it would make sense case number sequence would be included. It now included both Sterling & Gold in the same Import case # line.
In between 1920 and the 1910-1917 watches, there is a transition. I find from 1918-1919 Gruen shifted all of its Sterling cases out of Swiss & into USA made (925/1000). I believe that is due to wartime restrictions, plus increased demand for trench watches from Gruen.
That's the short version, and I don't have time currently to put a full document of all the cases for each. Perhaps a different thread later.
[Updated on: Thu, 15 April 2021 16:14] Report message to a moderator |
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