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wristlet convertible

Wed, 12 February 2020 18:23

Description
Fake leather wooden box in greyish/taupe color with a gold print. Also the text "gruen wristlet watch" on the front side. Has a metal push button to open te case. Inside the case there is a greyish velvet holder for a convertible watch, smal metal strap and ribbon strap. Has silk in the lid stamped "gruen wristlet watch".

Period : 1918 - 1923?
Watch type : ladies convertible wristlet
Size : W=14.3cm D=6.5cm H=2.5cm
Inventor : unknown
Patents : unknown

Box maker : unknown

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6114&private=0

1910s and prior | 17 comments

metal fake brown leather

Wed, 12 February 2020 17:07

Description
Brown fake leather metal box hinged. Black velvet insert stamped gruen in gold. Silk lining in the lid with text "Gruen Wrist Watch". With paperwork "How to care for your watch" (A30A).

Period : 1915-1920?
Watch type : ladies strap wrist watch
Size : L=5cm W=10.2cm H=2.1cm
Inventor : Harry J Farrington?
Patents : Pattent on hinge?

Box maker : Farrington
Farrington custom packaging is foundend in 1920's in Boston (Jamaica Plain sta 30). Was a manufacturer of wrapped metal shell cases f.e. jewelry boxes and eye glass cases.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6110&private=0

1910s and prior | 4 comments

Box with strap holders

Tue, 11 February 2020 23:06

Description
A case wherein the various wrist bands used with wrist watches can be retained. Watch holder notches lined with velvet with a pair of hooks for an extra strap/belt. Under this, place for 6
bands of various materials and colours Recessed with ribs/ridges. A part of these bands can be seen through a window in the velvet upper.

Period : 1922 - 1923?
Watch type : ladies wristwatch
Size : unknown
Inventor : Harold R. Haerr (assignor to the gruen watch company)
Patents : US1477481A (filed june 15 1922, patented dec 11 1923)

Box maker : unknown

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6109&private=0
Internet photo user under fair-use for educational and non-commercial purposes

1920s | 1 comment

Paper box Gruen Time Hill

Tue, 11 February 2020 21:38

Description
On the outer box is a picture of the front page of the Gruen book “A worthy Company of watchmakers”. This book is from 1918. The inner box is also made of cardboard. Missing the watch holder.

Period : 1918 - 1928?
Watch type : ladies silk ribbon wristlet (educated guess)
Size : outer box (H=4cm W=11cm D=7.5cm), inner box (H=3.8cm W=10.1cm D=5.4cm)
Inventor : unknown
Patents : unknown

Box maker : Dennison Mfg Company
Impressed in the bottom of the inner box is “Dennison maker”. The Dennison Mfg. Company started in 1844 when Aaron Dennison (a Boston jeweller) began to make paper boxes. His father (Andrew) and he made a machine to facilitatie the making of cardboard boxes. At the time most jewel boxes were imported. In 1863 the company produced lots of paper stuff (jewelry tages, display cards) and in 1914 crepe paper. One of the sales offices was in Cincinnati. Today the factory still exists in combination with Avery.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6104&private=0

1910s and prior | 4 comments

template for BOX description

Tue, 11 February 2020 21:17

Please copy the fields below and paste into your post. Attach your pictures and fill out as many fields as you can. Look at other member posts for examples.
Tip: use a SHORT distuinguished descriptive name in your Title.

Description

Period:
Watch type:
Size:
Inventor:
Patents:

Box maker:

[Picture Outer box]
[Picture outside]
[Picture inside]
[Picture bottom]
[Picture paperwork]
[Picture ad]

1910s and prior | 0 comments

Caliber 650 (Guild)

17J, 17’’’; Tue, 11 February 2020 04:31

Caliber 650
Maker: edit: Record Dreadnought
Size: 17L
Jewels: 17 (#s only, pre-1922 tariff)
Adjustments: 4 at introduction, reduced to 3 by end of 1921
Dial release: side screws
Dial feet: 10 & 5

Some mentions of this caliber recently, so wanted to share 2 examples in hopes of learning more about it. This caliber appears to have been introduced at the end of 1920/beginning of 1921. When first introduced, it had 4 adjustments, and the serial number stamped on the bridges, in addition to identical sn on the front plate. The earliest Gruen version I’ve seen is sn 101874 that recently sold on the bay—this may have been a first run for Gruen. The earliest cased version I’ve seen is sn 103037 (still w/4 adj & bridge sn), in Gruen/Wadsworth-signed Ultra Qual case # 360419. That puts it at mid-1921, which along with the caliber # stamp on all examples I’ve seen is why i say it may have gone into use in 1921, with first production maybe at the end of 1920. The serial numbers accelerate quickly, seemingly far beyond Gruens usage, so likely it was the common maker’s sn series, not exclusive to Gruen. Hoping others can share any similar examples.

Seemingly still in 1921, this movement was redesigned to 3 adjustments and no sn on the bridges, possibly only a few months after introduction.

Here’s an early example, circa early 1921. Sn 102809, 4 adj. Silver dial stamped “650”. There is an obscured mark between bridges next the “650” stamp that resembles the overlapped “HC” Russbach Hanni logo shown on mikrolisk, but TBD if there is any relationship.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6091&private=0

The caliber database | 6 comments

Caliber 740 (Premo, WSC, Guild) - 17J & 19J variants

17’’’ Pocket, extra thin/semi-thin; Fri, 07 February 2020 05:20

Size: 17L
Jewels: originally 17J, later 19J
Config: open face
Negative setting mechanism
Dial release: side screws
Dial holes: 1 & 6 positions
Maker: unknown (same maker as 750 semi-thin series)
Adjustments: 5

Here is one of the later Guild 19J variants. Stamped 740. Circa 1922. Sn 1104688. Silver dial by Zelim Jacot

Note that the 750 series semis follow this front plate number series—but a back plate sn appears on them by 1121000 (front plate). BUT the back plate # is a different series, not a shortened version of the front plate #. For example, the 758 with front plate # 1121471 bears # 16740 on the back (bridges).

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6063&private=0

The caliber database | 10 comments

Caliber 641 (640) - Factory R Gruen Guild

10.5 ligne, 15 jewels; Sat, 01 February 2020 04:08

This caliber appears to have been introduced in 1922, possibly even late 1922. They have pre-1922 tariff markings, but there was a grace period. It’s the only Factory R stamped caliber I’ve seen yet, and the timing would make it one of the later “Factory X” stamps to come into use. But I do find evidence Factory R may have been a Gruen supplier earlier, just didn’t have or use the stamp until 1922. Perhaps a renaming/reorganization—remains to be seen.

These are stamped “640” between plates by the dial screw. All examples I’ve seen are the hunter variant, all marked “641” on the dial back. So they’re stamped for the base 640 open face caliber, the 641 the hunter variant.

Dials are made by Singer SA, all dials bear “107” stamp, which I believe could be Singer’s customer number/reference for Factory R. “107” appears on other much larger Singer dials at this time, too—like the 650. Hope to share an example soon.

Example 1:
Sn (front plate): 11454 (also has a partial “2” stamped to one side)
Markings: 15 jewels, 2 adj. (#s only)

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6053&private=0

The caliber database | 14 comments

Caliber 1721 (Gruen Alpina Gilde) - 19’’’

17J, Open Face, Flat hairspring; Sat, 01 February 2020 02:47

Here’s one I hadn’t seen before, I presume one of the “white label” Gruens from the Alpina Gilde days. But could be earlier. Wasn’t sure where to post since it’s not listed in the Gruen material catalogs, but going with the Gruen database since it’s stamped as a Gruen. Pardon the front plate appearance—dial was glued on!! Mad

19 ligne, 17 jewels.

Dr. Ranfft shows the Alpina 1721 is equivalent to the Moeris 19D, so lots of info/details there. His example is listed as 1925, but I think it’s maybe a later version, given the regulator.

He says this movement came in either Breguet or flat hairspring. This Gruen looks to be the flat variant.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6050&private=0

The caliber database | 2 comments

Liberty Khaki Strap Box

1918; Mon, 06 January 2020 18:40

I got this from eBay the other week:
/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=5965&private=0

The strap is also shown in the ad here: http://vintagegruen.org/vgforum/index.php?t=msg&th=343&a mp;a mp;goto=1426&#msg_1426

I'd love to see an original one. I snagged an original WWI strap with the J.F. Sturdy buckle. The site also shows the Gruen "Liberty strap": LINK. I've been able to make reproductions of both. the Gruen one, is far simplier than the others. Seems to be just a simple buckle:

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=5967&private=0

Anyone have an original?

1910s and prior | 1 comment

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