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Re: Men's wristwatch 707/1 [message #16142 is a reply to message #16140] Fri, 18 February 2022 15:38 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
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Registered: May 2019
Location: Cincinnati
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I think you both understand as much as I do about the letters now--perhaps a vintage wadsworth ad will turn up with a list of their gold filled line names. Remember Charlie Cleves proved to us that Gruen's gold thicknesses were higher than Wadsworth's standards in general. But we regularly look at watches spanning the teens to the 30s & beyond. So lots changing.

Maybe it will help to list key dates for gold filled markings. The proof can wait for a longer thread with more time.
-1915-09-01: first mention I've found of Ultra Quality case: Most Beautiful Watch in America ad, verithin model 284, $40. It is described as "ultra solid" and "better than 25 years." It equates to Permanent--which is why the cases are marked "Ultra Quality, per."[manenent]
-1922-08-22: first mention of "ultra quality reinforced gold filled" in an ad for a ladies wristlet
-1922-11-01: first claimed use of "reinforced gold" (see early 3MM pocket watch cases and 2MM wristie cases)
-1923: Wadsworth began adding some purity stamps in case ("14k gold filled")
-1924-01-01: All cases made and stamped for Wadsworth have a purity mark (see "14k Gold reinforced with metal", "14k Gold filled"). Gruen used a technicality to continue to have Wadsworth make a special Ultra Quality line of cases without a purity stamp, but Wadsworth took their name off of it--those are the special Gruen cursive font Ultra Quality cases. Like John Hancock's signature on the Declaration of Independence, if the FTC came after Gruen, they made it clear they stood behind the product.
-1926: Wadsworth gets fed up with deceiving the public with reinforced, signs a pact with other casemakers that all cases will be marked gold filled. Gruen comes on board (willingly or no), and the Ultra Quality gets a purity mark. See "14k gold filled reinforced with extra gold" and "Ultra Quality 14K Gold Filled" (as on Matthias' post above)

[Updated on: Fri, 18 February 2022 15:49]

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