| Re: Gruen Mystery Dial [message #15246 is a reply to message #15242] |
Fri, 23 July 2021 06:21   |
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Barney Green
Messages: 1747
Registered: February 2014
Location: Wolfsburg, Germany
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Gruen Authority |
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It is a genuine Gruen, no doubt. It is pictured in the so called "Masterbook" or "Catalog" as one of the last strap watches, it carries the number 036 for 1036. So it has been the 1036th model between late 1922 and 1957 which Gruen released. The last in this book is number 058 and it is believed that the photo collection in this book lasted until the sale of the original Gruen company. This is also a proof that the model existed already in 1957.
Beside the two versions of the books, which are copyrighted, so I could not post photos from there, I found this watch only pictured once in an advertisement in a local newspaper, "The News-Palladium" from Benton Harbor, Michigan. It is a jewelers ad from "Fox's" advertised in a clearance sale in the July 29, 1958 issue. Again this fact shows that it is an "older" watch, first issued before 1958.
The other mystery dial from the full page ad is Strap 996, so indeed 40 models earlier and should have occurred late 1956. There is also a third mystery or floating dial Gruen model pictured in "the catalog", it strangely does not have a number (appears between 011 and 012), this one should have a caliber 220. Caliber 220 was not introduced before 1959, so this watch does not really belong there and must be seen as a successor to yours.
And you are perfectly right, at this time Gruen named their models. But the Masterbook/Catalog did not have the names and the only advertisement I own does not name the watch either. So at this moment I do not have one for this particular model.
This is what I like most about Gruen: thousands of mysteries to be solved...
Gruen, Gruen, Gruen ist alles was ich habe... Gruen, Gruen, Gruen is all I have...(German folklore song)
[Updated on: Fri, 23 July 2021 06:23] Report message to a moderator |
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