afire Messages: 1331 Registered: May 2013 Location: Wisconsin
Gruen Authority
Mike, there's no way the 826 was introduced after 1929. For one, they're usually (if not always) found in watches that plainly date to the 1920s. And second, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for Aegler/Gruen to introduce an open face movement like this well after the demand for something like this had all but evaporated. Anyway, according to Ranfft, Aegler introduced this movement in 1922.
Now for some idle speculation. Gruen originally intended to just use the hunter 825 and 827. For whatever reason, perhaps getting rid of open face ebauches that by the early 1920s were unlikely to get used in tiny pocket watches or wristlets wound at 12:00, Aegler used these as the base for the SS movements (since layout doesn't matter) and Gruen designated it the 826. Maybe they got a discount or something. Just a guess.
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