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Day Night hands
correct hands for Day Night model; Wed, 26 June 2013 14:01
Model name : Day Night
Type : Aviator
Period/date : 1950-60
Gender : Male
Case Maker : Gruen
Case Material : Steel
Caliber : 510
Movement Maker: Gruen
Hi folks
Just bought this Day Night, but suspect that someone has changed the hands for some reason. I've only ever seen them with luminous filled Dauphine style hands. Can anyone tell me if they also issued them with the baton style herein?
Thanks in advance,
Michael
1950's and Up |
13 comments
Quadron 63
Beautiful model with 'crown guard" case!; Mon, 24 June 2013 23:36
Here's one that's going into the vault, as many of you know the Quadrons are one of my favorites! I acquired it in 2010, and am just know getting around to cataloging it. It's nice to get a Gruen once in a while that you can "positively ID" from the factory's 1929-'31 Guild Book! Love the "W" after the "8." First time I've seen a number/letter combination for the case style!
Model name : Quadron 63
Type : Quadron, 15J Guild movement
Period/date : late 1920s
Gender : Men
Case Maker : Wadsworth
Case Material : 14kt gold filled
Case Serial : 5,419,980
Case Style no : 157/8W
Caliber : 157
Movement Maker : Marc Favre
Movement Serial: 1,166,816
Bracelet : Leather band
Other info (my opinion only): Positively ID'd on Page 16 (top center) of my Gruen Book, and also page 79 of the Gruen Guild book (picture included below). Nice case design on this, gravitating more toward the "streamlned" designs of the later Quadrons versus the "Art Deco" designs of the earlier ones. The slits carved into the tops of the lugs are a nice touch, as is the "crown guard" design of the case. The domed crystal is no doubt a replacement, and not correct for this model. If anyone can help me obtain the correct glass crystal for this, I'd be much obliged!
Enjoy!
    
1920's |
10 comments
Ristside Varsity 1938
Mon, 24 June 2013 22:34
Model name : Varsity
Type : Ristside
Period/date : 1938
Gender : Male
Case Maker : Star watch case co
Case Material : 10kgf bezel, guildite back
Case Serial : 665660
Case Style no : 352
Caliber : 401
Movement Maker : ?
Movement Serial: 4-50206
Bracelet : not original, flex usa pat 3587226 (1971)
Other info : You can only wear this watch on the side of your wrist. When you're driving it is easy to see the time. Strap size is 13mm. In general this model shows a lot of wear on the lugs. A patent for Gruen's side wrist watch is: US2187205A
[Picture caseback inside]
[Picture movement]
[Picture ad] - There is an advertising card (march 1939) which shows this watch
1930's |
6 comments
Zephyr circa 1947
driver's style with hinging lugs; Fri, 21 June 2013 22:10
Here's another one from my inventory:
Model name : Strap 577 (from my Gruen book) advertised as the "Zephyr"
Type : Precision Veri Thin
Period/date : Circa 1947
Gender : Men's
Case Maker : Wadsworth
Case Material : 10kt gold filled front and back
Case Serial : G948968
Case Style no : 558
Caliber : 335
Movement Maker : Gruen, Switzerland. Later, these 335s were made at a Norwood, Ohio, facility, but this is a Swiss one
Movement Serial: 610384
Bracelet : none
Other info : (strictly my opinion here, folks): Gruen came out with several very handsome swivel lug driver's watches in the 1940s. I love this particular model because of the heavily scalloped bezel. It corresponds to "Strap Model 577" on page 145 (top center) of my Gruen book. If anyone knows whether this model was assigned a "name" by Gruen, let me know and i'll update this listing. Takes a 16mm band. I photographed the watch without the band to show off those lugs in all their glory. They span a whopping 53mm when measured end to end. (That's one mm longer than the Majesty!) Forum members have since ID'd this model as being the "Zephyr." Thank you for this. The ads show the watch with the band sliding underneath the lug rather than over the top like many of the other models of these drivers' watches. This is nice, because it shows the lugs nicely, rather than hide them.
    
1940's |
7 comments
Gruen Barclay
many times called the "Spider"; Thu, 20 June 2013 17:48
Been absent for a while persuing other watches. I don't believe we have a "Barclay" on the record yet, so here's one I acquired back in 2010 and am getting ready for sale on my website. Bruce
Model name : Barclay
Type : Precision/Veri Thin
Period/date : 1950
Gender : men's
Case Maker : Jonell Watch Case Company
Case Material : 10kt yellow gold filled front and back
Case Serial : M43722
Case Style no : 723
Caliber :
Movement Maker : Gruen (at the Norwood Ohio facility, presumably, since this is not marked SWITZERLAND on the dial)
Movement Serial: unable to locate
Bracelet : leather band.
Other info : The following are my observtions/opinions only, and are not meant as gospel. The Barclay, which many dealers and collectors refer to as the "Spider," came out in the early 1950s (this one is circa 1950). It was an unsual watch, somewhat effeminate because of the delicate wire "cage" surrounding an otherwise round case. I love the engraving on this model. I'm guessing that "Sam" was an unusual guy in some way, hence the gift of Y.P Ceebs of an unsusual watch to an unusual guy! (The engraving states: "Sam. Just because you're you Y.P. Ceebs") The use of a tonneau-shaped movement inside a round case is also very intriguing, but one should remember that Gruen by this time was in financial straits and was probably using up stocks of existing movements in inventory any way they could. Today, the "Barclay" is one of Gruen's iconic watches, instantly recognizable by its distinictive shape. I think the copper color dial on this one is also unusual. Most of the other ones I have seen are either white or Butler (silvered) finish. This one is finished with a 16mm reddish-brown leather band.
    
1950's and Up |
11 comments
The caliber 126
DG&S movement; Thu, 20 June 2013 01:20
And even less info on this one....
15 jewel movement, 22.02mm diameter which i believe is 9 3/4 lignes?, If i recall correctly from the old site this was an Aegler movement from the mid-late 1920's. Speculators on the Bulova site seems to believe that this movement base was also used by Favre when they made movements for Bulova in the late 20's.
The caliber database |
4 comments
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From lug end to lug end it is 45mm. It has some nice art deco engraving on the bezel. Shows some age. 
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