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Parts needed for a Cal 119 Quadron. [message #20128]

Sat, 03 January 2026 02:21

Dave-1066
Messages: 1
Registered: January 2026

Gruen Apprentice

Hello all,

New member.

I’ve been a watchmaker for over 25 years and recently bought a lovely Gruen Quadron 119, Style 70. Apparently somewhat rare and dating to about 1929.

Unfortunately I live in the UK where the Gruen brand never took off. This coupled with the age of the watch has made locating parts an absolute nightmare.

The previous owner (this was an eBay purchase) had likewise given up trying to find parts and hence sold it for a pittance.

I finally got round to inspecting the movement and it appears he or someone else installed a random winding pinion and possibly a random sliding pinion too (also called the clutch). The result being that the teeth of the winding pinion have sheered off and the watch will not wind any power to the mainspring due to permanent slippage.

As I intend on wearing this myself I’m determined to find the parts. Only issue is they’re essentially non-existent on this side of the ocean. I’ve considered going through a few hundred old stock parts to find a “next best fit” but obviously this isn’t remotely ideal.

I understand the base calibre is the 117.

My question is therefore whether any of your members might know where on earth I could find these two parts?

Thankfully, the rest of the movement appears to be fine and the all-important balance operates freely (phew!). Rating is abysmal but I haven’t serviced it yet so that’s not an issue.

Any and all help HUGELY appreciated as this is beginning to give me a stomach ulcer Smile

Thanks and regards,

Dave.
PS- I made the domed crystal you can see in the photo from scratch.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=12043&private=0

edit by admin: resized picture and put inline

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[Updated on: Mon, 05 January 2026 19:33] by Moderator

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Re: Parts needed for a Cal 119 Quadron. [message #20129 is a reply to message #20128]

Mon, 05 January 2026 19:47

Jenneke
Messages: 2077
Registered: May 2013
Location: Netherlands

Gruen Authority

Hi and welcome on this forum.

Nice Gruen watch! Do you own more vintage watches?

Living in the Netherlands I have similar challenges. I only collect Gruen watches. For parts I look in my own Gruen drawers with NOS parts and spare movements. Sorry, no 117.

Sometimes cousinsuk has parts. But generally Ebay is the biggest source. I bought parts from sellers in France and Italy in the past. In the UK there is a quadron 117 for sale on Ebay. Did you see it? https://www.ebay.com/itm/389343256901

You can only waste time if you forget to enjoy it - Loesje

[Updated on: Mon, 05 January 2026 19:49]

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Re: Parts needed for a Cal 119 Quadron. [message #20130 is a reply to message #20129]

Mon, 05 January 2026 21:30

JackW
Messages: 2120
Registered: May 2013
Location: Denver

Gruen Authority
Head Janitor
Site Admin

Hi Dave,
I have a winding pinion and a clutch that I can send you. They are not NOS but harvested from a cal 119 but will be in usable condition. I just finished overhauling a Quadron 40 the other week and know that the winding bits are especially prone to failure. Send me a PM if you wish or reply here.

All I know is based on hard work & writing by others. I can only aspire to augment this body of knowledge. If I am wrong it is because of my own failings. -me

"If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Newton

[Updated on: Mon, 05 January 2026 21:32]

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Re: Parts needed for a Cal 119 Quadron. [message #20131 is a reply to message #20130]

Mon, 05 January 2026 21:44

JackW
Messages: 2120
Registered: May 2013
Location: Denver

Gruen Authority
Head Janitor
Site Admin

I think that 117 that Jenneke pointed out was from a Gubelin branded watch. The 'GR' marking is like those that were used in non-Gruen branded versions.
https://vintagegruen.org/vgforum/index.php?t=msg&th=858& amp; amp; amp; amp;goto=19480&#msg_19480

the url is not going to the indicated page... odd. The 14 page of that thread has an image about 1/2-way down that will look like the movement Jenneke pointed out.

[Updated on: Tue, 06 January 2026 09:25] by Moderator

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Re: Parts needed for a Cal 119 Quadron. [message #20132 is a reply to message #20131]

Tue, 06 January 2026 09:25

Jenneke
Messages: 2077
Registered: May 2013
Location: Netherlands

Gruen Authority

Working link:
https://vintagegruen.org/vgforum/index.php?t=msg&goto=19 480&&srch=117+GR#msg_19480

You can only waste time if you forget to enjoy it - Loesje

[Updated on: Tue, 06 January 2026 09:25]

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Re: Parts needed for a Cal 119 Quadron. [message #20133 is a reply to message #20132]

Tue, 06 January 2026 17:28

Passion
Messages: 66
Registered: July 2025
Location: France

Gruen Apprentice

Bonsoir Dave,
Je ne pourrai pas vous aider, mais vous trouverez ici une autre aide précieuse. ;-)
Votre Gruen est superbe. Je ne savais pas que la marque n'avait pas décoller en Angleterre.
Félicitation pour la fabrication du crystal.
Laurent.

Good evening Dave,
I will not be able to help you, but you will find here another valuable help. ;-)
Your Gruen is superb. I didn’t know the brand hadn’t taken off in England.
Congratulations on making the crystal.
Laurent.

A ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for...

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Re: Parts needed for a Cal 119 Quadron. [message #20134 is a reply to message #20128]

Wed, 07 January 2026 22:04

afire
Messages: 1401
Registered: May 2013
Location: Wisconsin

Gruen Authority

Dave-1066 wrote on Fri, 02 January 2026 20:21

Unfortunately I live in the UK where the Gruen brand never took off.

I don't think the Gruen brand was ever allowed to take off there. Maybe this is urban legend, but it seems that there was some kind of agreement between Gruen and Rolex and Gruen would limit itself to the US and Rolex would focus on the UK/Europe/Dominion. The two companies were intimately tied together for a time due to their joint ownership of the Aegler watch factory.

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