Re: Need some help with a Gruen pocket watch [message #5471 is a reply to message #5470] |
Tue, 21 April 2015 17:05   |
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Thojil
Messages: 650 Registered: May 2013 Location: Concorès, France
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Gruen Master |
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afire wrote on Tue, 21 April 2015 17:32Looking at the 1918 catalog, I can't make a positive ID. There are two candidates. One is plate three on page 30. I don't know what a "Very-Verithin" is, or how to tell one from a regular Verithin movement, but I think this is the best match case-wise. It's described as "bascine" which essentially means seamless. Jumping forward to page 2 on the price list, if this movement is possibly a VV4, then the price would have been $95. Another possibility is plate 12 on page 35. It's described as "semi-bascine" which I believe is because it's not seamless looking, but rather the center section sticks out a little. But this model did have a regular Verithin V4 as an option. If that's what it is, then page four of the price list shows a price of $110.
The "Very-Verithin" was only a case style that was even sleeker than the regular Verithin cases. Although Gruen refers to a special "VV4" movement for these cases, implying that it would be different from a "V4", there is actually no evidence it ever existed other than in this 1918 Price List. I have seen hundreds of V4 movements and have yet to see one marked "VV". Also you will not find a "VV" caliber in any of the Parts Catalogs.
Your case is not a "Very-Verithin" case as these were marked as such in the inner dust cover.

I said that Gruen was supplying complete watches however the customer could choose from different case styles and dials. So giving a more exact ID may proof difficult. I'll go through my sources as well tonight.
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