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Strap 809

Sun, 05 November 2017 16:00

Model Name: Strap 809
Type: Wristwatch
Period/date: 1950's
Gender: Men's

Case Maker: Gruen USA
Case Material: Guildite
Case Serial: F10468
Case Style Number: 829

Caliber: 415SS
Movement Maker: Gruen Switzerland
Movement Serial: I don't know

Other info: Military Style

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I can find watches from this era with these hour and minute hands, but not this seconds hand. Any info you can provide will be appreciated.

Dall

1950's and Up | 17 comments

Import 221

Mon, 30 October 2017 05:09

Model name: Import 221
Type: Wristwatch
Period/date: Circa 1934
Gender: Gents

Case Maker: Weber
Case Material: Guildite/Stainless Steel
Case Serial: 204162
Case Style no: N/A

Caliber: 690 or 691
Movement Maker: FEF
Movement Serial: N/A

Bracelet: Leather (Period - non-original)

Other info: There doesn't seem to be much info out there about this movement. It's an FEF 130 caliber, and based on setting parts shown in the 1939 materials catalog, there were two calibers, 690 and 691, based on the FEF 130. Presumably one was the conventional movement (as seen in the Import 220) and the other being the duo-dial, as seen here. I just have no clue which is which. There were at least two different duo-dial movements used in this period, both marked "Guild Watch Co." Based on the rough estimated dates of these watches, I'm guessing they were a stop-gap measure between the end of the outsourced cal. 877s following the end of the Aegler relationship, and the introduction of the cal. 500DD in-house duo-dial movement. But that's only an educated guess (though I think it's a good enough guess).

1930's | 6 comments

Strap 393

Mon, 09 October 2017 21:26

Model name :Strap 393
Type :
Period/date : 1940's
Gender :Gents

Case Maker :Star Watch Case Company
Case Material :10K GF
Case Serial :
Case Style no :

Caliber :401C
Movement Maker :Gruen
Movement Serial:

Bracelet :

Other info :

index.php?t=getfile&id=3486&private=0 index.php?t=getfile&id=3487&private=0 index.php?t=getfile&id=3488&private=0 I picked up this Gruen today. Can anybody ID the watch and approx. date of manufacture. I'd also be interested in the movement info.
Thanks, Brian

1940's | 12 comments

Strap 370

Tue, 26 September 2017 22:56

Model name : 370
Type :Strap
Period/date :1939
Gender :Gents

Case Maker :Pioneer Watch Case Co.
Case Material :10K GF Bezel, Guildite Back
Case Serial :10811
Case Style no :

Caliber :705
Movement Maker :Gruen
Movement Serial:4-20211

Bracelet :

Other info :

I really need some help identifying this watch that I've just acquired, thanks =] index.php?t=getfile&id=3478&private=0 index.php?t=getfile&id=3479&private=0 index.php?t=getfile&id=3480&private=0

1930's | 10 comments

Strap 466

Curvex ?; Sat, 23 September 2017 04:41

Model name: Curvex ?
Period/date: 1944
Gender: Men's
Case Maker: Wadsworth
Case Material: 10K GF over Silver
Case Style no: 440 499
Caliber: 440
Movement Maker: Gruen
Bracelet: 14mm Strap

Other info: A new Curvex addition to the 499 style along with the Collegian, Adjutant and Commodore.

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1940's | 0 comments

Cartouche 368

Ladies Art Deco Gruen; Tue, 19 September 2017 01:18

Model name : Cartouche 368
Type : Cartouche
Period/date : 1920's ~ 1930's
Gender : Ladies

Case Maker : Wadsworth
Case Material :14k GF reinforced with extra gold
Case Serial :3355786
Case Style no :OS-63

Caliber :153
Movement Maker :Marc Farve
Movement Serial:1306207

Bracelet :Not known

Other info :

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Is it possible to identify this watch?
Thanks
Brian

1920's | 2 comments

Curvex Ristside Falcon aka Batwing

Mon, 18 September 2017 08:43

Model name : Ristside Falcon
Type : Curvex
Period/date : 1949
Gender : Male

Case Maker : APEX Watch Case Company Co.
Case Material : 10k Gold Filled
Case Serial : C27761
Case Style no : 440-641

Caliber : 440
Movement Maker : Gruen
Movement Serial: C2430

Bracelet : Original Gruen. The original strap however may have been a special strap allowing you to wear it on the side of your wrist with the buckle centrally positioned under your wrist (need confirmation).

Other info : The same case fitted with a metal stretch band was named the Fraternity. In addition to the black dial a silver dial existed as well.
The same time Gruen launched a solid gold version with a different case design named Royalty.

The launch ad from November 1949 is promoting the Ristside models as "the first major advance in watch making design since the introduction of the wristwatch". Interestingly Gruen is not capitalising on their own history by making reference to the earlier 1938-1939 models like the Lord, Envoy and Admiral which apparently were not very successful. The early models could only be worn on the side of the wrist while these new Ristside models with their flexible lugs could be worn either way. I guess Gruen did learn from their mistakes in the past...

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1940's | 9 comments

Curvex Ace

1935 Curvex; Thu, 07 September 2017 01:44

Model name : Ace
Type : manual
Period/date 1935
Gender : Ladies/Gents

Case Maker : Gruen
Case Material : 14k gf
Case Serial : 2379900
Case Style no : 202

Caliber : 311 , 17j
Movement Maker : Gruen Precision
Movement Serial: 352300

Bracelet : Leather

Other info : First year for the Curvex. Odd the 00 endings of the case and movement serial. 352300 almost sounds like this was a 1935 movement batch 2300. The inscription is hard to read and I cannot make out what it says. The number is a mystery too.

Rant info: I should kick myself for getting this posted months after I acquired it. I need to get back to my Gruen watches!

Enjoy!

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1930's | 2 comments

Gruen Celebration

Sat, 02 September 2017 18:51

Model name :Gruen Celebration
Type :Gruen 21
Period/date :1953
Gender :Gents

Case Maker :Gruen
Case Material :Unknown
Case Serial :Unknown
Case Style no :

Caliber :335
Movement Maker :Gruen
Movement Serial:

Bracelet :

Other info :

I have my fathers wind up Gruen which is in a Curvex style with plastic crystal. Under Gruen where Curvex would be is a logo instead. Do you know when logos were added to the face? The back says Gruen Base Metal with logo & no numbers. I am assuming this is a watch from the 60s. He died 20 years ago at 80.

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edit (jw) - added images per member request

1950's and Up | 3 comments

1927 Tank 13

18K WG, Engraved and Enameled.; Fri, 25 August 2017 19:50

Model name : Tank 13
Type : Wristwatch
Period/date : Circa 1925
Gender : Men's

Case Maker : Gruen Cincinnati
Case Material : 18k White Gold, Black Vitreous Enamel
Case Serial : 1127104
Case Style no : N/A

Caliber : 115
Movement Maker : In-house
Movement Serial: 623407

Hand engraved case "rails" sides and back, hard-fired enamel inlay between the lugs, similar to a couple of Cincinnati-cased Quadron models with the same case details. The listing for Tank 13 in the Master Book shows a different case, also 18k engraved, but a different pattern with no enamel, and this case doesn't show up at all, which initially had me thinking it might be uncatalogued. But then I looked in the 1927 Stock Record Book, and sure enough, there it is listed as Tank 13. I've noticed this with a few models.