Vintage Gruen
The forum for Gruen watch enthusiasts.

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

Cartouche 107

Sister post to the Help Identifying Cartouche 163; Tue, 22 December 2015 04:04

This is the 2nd of two cartouche style Gruens I recently acquired. Looking for any history, year of manufacture, other information on this model.
Thanks in advance.


Inside case:
GRUEN
14 K. GOLD
REINFORCED WITH METAL
Wadsworth
5063157
OS-3

Outside case back:
nothing

Movement:
153 (under balance cock... could be 155)
134178 (or it could be 134/78)
FIFTEEN 15 JEWELS FOUR 4 ADJ
GRUEN GUILD SWITZERLAND

Dial:
GRUEN (under 12:00)

index.php?t=getfile&id=2639&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2640&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2641&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2642&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2643&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2644&private=0

1920's | 3 comments

Gruen Semithin Pocket Watch 756

Extra Thin as described; Mon, 14 December 2015 20:14

Model name :Semithin
Type : Pocket Watch
Period/date :1920's
Gender :Male

Case Maker :Wadsworth
Case Material :Gold Fill
Case Serial :676279
Case Style no :Open Face

Caliber :756
Movement Maker :Gruen Guild
Movement Serial:None found

Bracelet :N/A

Other info :This one interesting since it has "Extra Thin" stamped on the back. The 1926 Standardized Part List has it listed as a Semithin. This watch has the look of green gold. The bow and crown were replaced with yellow gold so I might be looking for suitable replacements. I love the patina of the dial! This is my first Gruen pocket watch. The local vendor gave a deal I couldn't refuse.

How many thins can you have? ;-)
Semi-Thin
Extra-Thin
Veri-Thin
Ultra-Thin
Ultra-Ultra-Thin
Ultra-Veri-Thin

index.php?t=getfile&id=2621&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2622&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2623&private=0

1920's | 7 comments

Geo H Newstedt Pocket Watch

Gruen Veri-Thin; Sat, 12 December 2015 22:47

Model name : Pocket Watch
Type : Veri-Thin
Period/date :1916-1918
Gender :Male

Case Maker :Wadsworth
Case Material :Gold Fill
Case Serial : 318260
Case Style no :Open

Caliber :V5
Movement Maker :Gruen Precision 15 jewels
Movement Serial: 461283

Bracelet :N/A

Other info : I need to get better pictures, I suck at taking pictures on the go. This watch is for sale at the local antique shop. Geo Newstedt had a local jewelry store in Cincinnati. So Gruen made local jewelers brand watches with their logo?

index.php?t=getfile&id=2610&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2611&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2612&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2613&private=0

1910's and prior | 7 comments

Veri-Thin Airway?

Sat, 12 December 2015 17:42

Model name :Airway?
Type :Veri-Thin
Period/date :Early 1940's
Gender :Male

Case Maker :Katz & Ogush
Case Material :14K Gold filled?
Case Serial :234873
Case Style no :Unknown

Caliber :405
Movement Maker :Gruen Precision
Movement Serial:941878

Bracelet :Leather

Other info :Interesting to find the solid gold K&0 marks on the case when you see "base metal" on the case back. So you can call this 14K gold filled over base metal?

Per Jack's Gruen case document the K&0 case period was 1921-1937. Ben Katz left and went to Gruen in 1935 but cases with the K&0 were at least marked up until 1940. Hence how I guessed the year, could be late 30's.

index.php?t=getfile&id=2607&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2608&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2609&private=0

1940's | 4 comments

Ladies Gruen WG758

Mon, 07 December 2015 21:26

Model name :
Type :
Period/date :1956
Gender :Ladies

Case Maker :Jonell Watch Case Company
Case Material :14K SG
Case Serial :
Case Style no :

Caliber :275
Movement Maker :Gruen (Norwood)
Movement Serial:

Bracelet :

Hello - My mother gave me this watch on my 16th birthday. She visited frequently with an old woman in her neighborhood while pregnant with me in the 1960s. The woman gave my mother the watch to give to me when I was old enough to appreciate it, which I always have. It truly is my most cherished possession. I have not been able to identify it and, unless I'm doing something wrong, it doesn't seem to have a serial number. Would you help me identify it? What I do know:

1. the face says "Gruen 23 Jewels"
2. the back says "14 K gold" and has an arrow with a "J"
3. it is white gold
4. it has six diamonds around the tiny square face
5. i am unable to find a serial number
6. it hand winds and keeps great time

Thanks,
Kestrel

index.php?t=getfile&id=2605&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2606&private=0

1950's and Up | 10 comments

Import 59

Wed, 25 November 2015 18:50

Actually, Import S59G according to the 1931 supplement. Posting this one picture for posterity, since you may not see this model again anytime soon. Theoretically, I won it at auction, but it appears that my relatively lowball bid was not properly recorded, so it actually sold for even less. Ugh. I'm harassing the auction house, but not expecting any results.
http://mccarthyorth.smugmug.com/Music/Hotlinking/i-sqmHKwH/1/O/Import%2059.jpg
http://mccarthyorth.smugmug.com/Other/Gruen-Guild-Supplement-A-1931/i-KhbQN7D/1/O/page06.jpg

1930's | 7 comments

stainless steel Curvex

Sat, 21 November 2015 16:05

Model name : Unknown
Type : Curvex
Period/date : 1935
Gender : mens

Case Maker : unknown Swiss
Case Material : stainless stamped Staybrite
Case Serial : 21690
Case Style no : na

Caliber : 311
Movement Maker : Gruen
Movement Serial: 365725

Bracelet : na

Other info :
index.php?t=getfile&id=2598&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2597&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2599&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2595&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=2596&private=0


This is the watch that I bought from Mark (on the Vintage Watch Forums) earlier this week. He had little info on the history of the watch (i.e., previous owner, service history, etc). He got it in a lot that he purchased which had Hamilton's in it that he was after. In buying it, I apparently poached it out from under afire as he was thinking on it. Sorry...

The watch features a stainless steel case and is a Curvex. I knew stainless cased Curvexes existed; once had an exchange with Cary a loooooooooong time ago about them and that they are not particularly common as Curvexes go. The unfortunate aspect on it is the dial. It most assuredly isn't original and as vintage redials go... it ain't the best one. Back channel discussions with afire indicate that there is likely little info to be had on the design that was originally there. ...but there are certainly designs on other watches that are likely what the redial was going for. It shouldn't be too far off as long as the dial wasn't swapped at some point. Which is possible but I'll likely never know. Afire also mentioned to me that a good chunk of the stainless Curvex watches he has seen were Alpina's.

This is the only Curvex in my collection. I have had one before, but sold it. That one was a cal 440 in a GF case (on sterling)... This one in my opinion really is a "true" Curvex as it is representative of the long style that Gruen did in the 1930s with the 311's and 330s. This one lug-tip to lug-tip is 44mm long. That 440 was square and not unlike the contemporaneous veri-thin I had too.

Mark sold it to me as running... it does but the action on it is a tad slow so it'll get a COA before it goes into the wear rotation. On that note... it'll be some months. The watch I have on the bench now will be the last I do before packing up the shop to move. My wife and I bought a house.

As to the date: The movement serial fits square between two 311's in the database that both had 1935 dates engraved. Certainly Gruen was't casing things sequentially, but considering those dated watches, the short run on the 311's and the case material (absent the trademarked Guildite), I fell comfortable with being somewhat precise in the year.

For fun, here is the stainless steel triad of the Gruen's flagship wrist watches: Curvex, Quadron, and Pan American.

index.php?t=getfile&id=2600&private=0

1930's | 14 comments

Strap 79

Sat, 21 November 2015 06:35

Model name : Strap 79
Type : Wristwatch
Period/date : Circa 1925
Gender : Men's

Case Maker : Unknown Swiss
Case Material : 14k Green Gold
Case Serial : 17548
Case Style no : N/A

Caliber : 885
Movement Maker : Fontainmelon
Movement Serial: 130334
https://mccarthyorth.smugmug.com/Music/Hotlinking/i-98ZNdsb/0/O/image.jpg
https://mccarthyorth.smugmug.com/Music/Hotlinking/i-JNHrp4j/0/O/image.jpg
https://mccarthyorth.smugmug.com/Music/Hotlinking/i-dtW6QGN/0/O/image.jpg
https://mccarthyorth.smugmug.com/Music/Hotlinking/i-84gNpSP/0/O/image.jpg
https://mccarthyorth.smugmug.com/Music/Hotlinking/i-5phLbB8/0/O/image.jpg
https://mccarthyorth.smugmug.com/Music/Hotlinking/i-x4BD7q5/0/O/image.jpg
Hand engraved case. Original crown. Fired enamel dial print, including Switzerland marking. Massive case, 42x26mm. Frank Haverfield had excellent taste.

1920's | 9 comments

Precision style 1065

Tue, 17 November 2015 14:21

Model name : (1)065
Type : Precision
Period/date : 1958?
Gender : Men's

Case Maker :
Case Material : Gold on steel
Case Serial : D893233
Case Style no : none

Caliber : 452SS
Movement Maker : unknown
Movement Serial: none

Bracelet :

Other info : I had to pay too much for this, but I liked the lugs and dial, so resistance was futile. Needs a new strap, but otherwise looked good. Arrived running, with the correct time.

Steven

http://www.stevenhusting.com/Gruen1065/front.jpg
http://www.stevenhusting.com/Gruen1065/inside_back.jpg
http://www.stevenhusting.com/Gruen1065/movement.jpg


1950's and Up | 2 comments

Veri-Thin Princeton

Fri, 30 October 2015 16:15

Model name : Veri-Thin Princeton
Type : Veri-Thin
Period/date : 1944
Gender : Male

Case Maker : Star Watch Case Co.
Case Material : 10k gold fill bezel, case back sterling on sterling
Case Serial : 1009817
Case Style no : 523

Caliber : 405
Movement Maker : Gruen
Movement Serial: 100046

Bracelet : Leather

Other info : Identified from ad on page 133 in Mike & Shari's 1940's book "A Decade of Watches from the Daily News" Interesting to see the "sterling on sterling" label on the case back. 1944...seeing that the Star Watch Case Co. was also using sterling in lieu of nickel for their casing during the war?

index.php?t=getfile&id=2572&private=0

index.php?t=getfile&id=2573&private=0

index.php?t=getfile&id=2574&private=0

1940's | 3 comments

Pages (44): [ «    20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32  33  34  35    »]
Current Time: Sat Feb 15 20:17:41 UTC 2025

Total time taken to generate the page: 0.03925 seconds