Show: Today's Messages :: Unanswered Messages :: Polls :: Message Navigator

Curvex Majesty (330)

Tue, 04 June 2013 06:55

Model name: Curvex Majesty (aka Curvex Colonel)
Type: 52 mm Curvex
Period/date: 1937-1940
Gender: Mens

Case Maker: Wadsworth
Case Material: 14K Gold-Filled
Case Serial: G0299xx
Case Style no: 330 292

Caliber: 330
Movement Maker: Gruen
Movement Serial:

Other info: Longest Curvex, at 52mm. Refinished dial.

1930's | 6 comments

Gruen "Olympiad"

Tue, 04 June 2013 06:44

Model name: Olympiad
Type: Duo-Dial Doctor's watch
Period/date: 1937-1940
Gender: Mens

Case Maker: Wadsworth
Case Material: 10K Gold Filled
Case Serial: G096911
Case Style no: 500 290

Caliber: 500DD
Movement Maker: Gruen
Movement Serial: 2-209610

Other info :

1930's | 3 comments

Something interesting

a 24-hour dial in Guildite case (WWII era); Mon, 03 June 2013 04:26

Model name : unknown
Type : unknown
Period/date : WWII era ~1944
Gender : Men's

Case Maker : Unknown, potentially Gabus Freres
Case Material : Stainless steel bezel and case back (marked Guildite)
Case Serial : 75238
Case Style no : unknown

Caliber : 420ss
Movement Maker : Gruen
Movement Serial: 868746

Bracelet : na

Other info :

I'm not sure what to make of this beyond wishful thinking on my part: Potentially a pilots watch. It is similar in style to ones from Longines and others that I have seen on eBay which are purported to be 'pilot's watches'.

Anyway, like Tony C's Pan Am, this one has an all-stainless (marked Guildite) case with the same type of snap back. It also has solid lugs that are not an afterthought. The case with the lugs was machined out of a single piece and you can trace tool marks. Monty aka "MonKee" gave this to me in exchange for some work on some of his watches. I've not seen another like it. Contains a 420ss movement. Dial was refinished but it was a match to the dial as it came; also a redial so there is some question on originality. Now photos....
index.php?t=getfile&id=232&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=230&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=233&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=234&private=0
Also the seconds hand is highly doubtful as original. I've never seen another Gruen sweep second like it. Could be off a Gotham or other.

Sorry about picture size... feeling lazy to resize the at the moment.

1940's | 0 comments

Pan-Am

Sun, 02 June 2013 14:39

My one and only Pan-Am.

Model name : Pan-American
Type :
Period/date : early '40s
Gender : men

Case Maker : Gruen
Case Material : "Guildite" steel
Case Serial : 103952
Case Style: snap-back

Caliber : 420SS
Movement Maker : Gruen
Movement Serial:

1940's | 3 comments

Gübelin/Gruen

Sat, 01 June 2013 02:42

Hi Guys,

At Jack W's suggestion, I am posting a 1920s Gübelin that has a nicely finished movement which some Gruen fans will identify as a cal. 157. It also features a Huguenin Freres (HF) silver case, and what I believe to be a very nice original steel bracelet.

I am much more knowledgable about watches from the '50s and '60s, as my collection is focussed on that period, but as I am a fan of Gübelin's better watches (and they made plenty over the years), I was unable to resist this early beauty.

Feel free to discuss the watch and enlighten me further on the base movement.

Cheers,

Tony C.

(P.S. the photos are apparently restricted to quite a small size; might the owner of the site consider relaxing the unusually strict parameters?)

Watches from the Guild | 11 comments

The caliber 411

Fri, 31 May 2013 18:40

This is the caliber 411, a 15 jewel movement that is 10.5 ligne or 23.7mm in diameter. Almost all parts will interchange with others in the 405-series. The only difference between the 411 and the 421 is the size; other wise it is fully interchangeable. These movements are always marked with the caliber number in the space next to the balance wheel and the pivot jewel for the escape wheel.
index.php?t=getfile&id=20&private=0

The caliber database | 8 comments

The caliber 420ss

caliber with indirect sweeps-seconds; Fri, 31 May 2013 15:34

This is the caliber 420ss, a 17 jewel movement and is 11.5 ligne or 25.6 mm in diameter. This is a movement with an indirect sweeps seconds feature. Almost all parts will interchange with a 405 and the sweeps parts will interchange with the 405ss. The only difference between the 420ss and the 410ss is the size; other wise it is fully interchangeable. These movements are always marked with the caliber number in the space next to the balance wheel and the cap-jewel for the escape wheel.
index.php?t=getfile&id=224&private=0

The caliber database | 0 comments

The caliber 179

Fri, 31 May 2013 13:53

This is the caliber 179, a 15 jewel movement and is 9-3/4 ligne or 22mm in diameter. Although these are commonly marked on the pillar plate with the caliber number, usually in the space between the escape wheel finger and the train bridge, occasionally they are unmarked. The key-less works (aka the setting bits) are diagnostic for this movement. It also appears in Alpina marked watches (the cal 575), and Marc Favre marked watches. The setting works on these are very similar to the cal 157 which is patented by M. Favre in 1925.
index.php?t=getfile&id=222&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=221&private=0

The caliber database | 3 comments

The caliber 157

Fri, 31 May 2013 04:04

This is the caliber 157 and is a 15 jewel movement that is 8-3/4 x 12 ligne or 19.4mm x 27.07mm. This is one of the Quadron movements and is the only one that is 15 jewels. These are clearly marked with a caliber number often on the pillar plate next to the escape wheel.
index.php?t=getfile&id=220&private=0
There are two variation: One is a 'reduced' barrel bridge design and the other is a single train-bridge without the separate 'finger' for the escape wheel. Also, these movement appear with a frequency in Alpina marked watches. These can be marked 157 but also 765. An example here of a reduced barrel bridge.
index.php?t=getfile&id=223&private=0
These will also appear in Gubelin marked watches, and still noted as a 157.
A major difference in the Alpina and the Gruen editions of these movements is that the Gruen use a Breguet overcoiled hairspring where as the Alpina's use a flat hairspring.
patent is HERE

The caliber database | 12 comments

The caliber 421

Fri, 31 May 2013 03:43

The caliber 421 is 15 jewel movement that is 11.5 ligne or 25.6mm diameter. The caliber number is clearly stamped next to the balance wheel on the pillar plate.
index.php?t=getfile&id=219&private=0