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Electra [message #3144] Wed, 26 February 2014 05:00 Go to next message
kastner is currently offline  kastner
Messages: 331
Registered: May 2013
Location: Pasadena CA
Gruen Guildsman
Model name: Electra
Type: Electromechanical
Period/date: 1961
Gender: Men's
Case Maker: Unknown
Case Material: Gold base metal bezel, stainless steel back.
Case Serial: N/A
Case Style no: N/A
Caliber: 760SS, 12 jewels
Movement Maker: Landeron 4750
Movement Serial:N/A
Bracelet: 17mm

Other info: 35mm in diameter, and nearly 14.5mm thick at the thickest. The Landeron 4750 was the first electric movement from Switzerland and it uses a fixed coil. The watch was repaired by Paul at http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/index.php and at his site you can find a great deal of information about electric watches in general, and this movement in particular.

index.php?t=getfile&id=1255&private=0, index.php?t=getfile&id=1256&private=0
Re: Electra [message #3146 is a reply to message #3144] Wed, 26 February 2014 05:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JackW is currently offline  JackW
Messages: 1869
Registered: May 2013
Location: Denver
Gruen Authority
Head Janitor
Site Admin
Very cool!

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
Re: Electra [message #3150 is a reply to message #3146] Wed, 26 February 2014 15:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bazzab is currently offline  Bazzab
Messages: 181
Registered: May 2013
Location: Tampa Bay Fl
Gruen Guildsman
Love those hands, very electric
B


Re: Electra [message #3154 is a reply to message #3150] Wed, 26 February 2014 17:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jenneke is currently offline  Jenneke
Messages: 1853
Registered: May 2013
Location: Netherlands
Gruen Authority
I thougt that every watch with a battery was a quartz watch. Confused Do I understand it correct that an electromechanical movement is waaaaay different to a Quartz movement and therefore never in a Quartz watch?

You can only waste time if you forget to enjoy it - Loesje
Re: Electra [message #3155 is a reply to message #3154] Wed, 26 February 2014 18:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bazzab is currently offline  Bazzab
Messages: 181
Registered: May 2013
Location: Tampa Bay Fl
Gruen Guildsman
Jenneke wrote on Wed, 26 February 2014 12:49
I thougt that every watch with a battery was a quartz watch. Confused Do I understand it correct that an electromechanical movement is waaaaay different to a Quartz movement and therefore never in a Quartz watch?


Taken from Wikipedia

The first generation electric-powered watches came out during the 1950s. These kept time with a balance wheel powered by a solenoid, or in a few advanced watches that foreshadowed the quartz watch, by a steel tuning fork vibrating at 360 Hz, powered by a solenoid driven by a transistor oscillator circuit. The hands were still moved mechanically by a wheel train. In mechanical watches the self winding mechanism, shockproof balance pivots, and break resistant 'white metal' mainsprings became standard. The jewel craze caused 'jewel inflation' and watches with up to 100 jewels were produced.

B


Re: Electra [message #3156 is a reply to message #3155] Wed, 26 February 2014 20:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
afire is currently offline  afire
Messages: 1312
Registered: May 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Gruen Authority
The easiest way to spot a non-quartz electric watch is the balance wheel. If it has a balance, then it isn't quartz.

[Updated on: Wed, 26 February 2014 20:29]

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Re: Electra [message #3159 is a reply to message #3154] Thu, 27 February 2014 03:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kastner is currently offline  kastner
Messages: 331
Registered: May 2013
Location: Pasadena CA
Gruen Guildsman
Jenneke wrote on Wed, 26 February 2014 17:49
Do I understand it correct that an electromechanical movement is waaaaay different to a Quartz movement?


You're exactly right. Here is some great information about the fixed coil movement that my watch has. http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/type/fixed_coil/fixed_coil .php


Re: Electra [message #3160 is a reply to message #3159] Thu, 27 February 2014 10:46 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Thojil is currently offline  Thojil
Messages: 650
Registered: May 2013
Location: Concorès, France
Gruen Master
One of the most famous ones is the Bulova Accutron
Re: Electra [message #3161 is a reply to message #3160] Fri, 28 February 2014 08:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MikeTheWatchGuy
Messages: 319
Registered: May 2013
Location: North Carolina
Gruen Guildsman

Here's my Gruen "Precision Electronic", my only 13 jewel Gruen. The Style Number is 1378 which puts it in around 1957-1958.

A gallery of all pics of this watch
http://imgur.com/a/LmjTa#0

[edit] Tried uploading twice and still can't get attachments working right.

[edit2] If I put them inline, they stick around

index.php?t=getfile&id=1267&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=1266&private=0
index.php?t=getfile&id=1265&private=0

[Updated on: Fri, 28 February 2014 19:09] by Moderator

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Re: Electra [message #3162 is a reply to message #3161] Fri, 28 February 2014 12:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
C. Hurt is currently offline  C. Hurt
Messages: 243
Registered: May 2013
Gruen Guildsman
MikeTheWatchGuy wrote on Fri, 28 February 2014 02:42
Here's my Gruen "Precision Electronic", my only 13 jewel Gruen. The Style Number is 1378 which puts it in around 1957-1958.


The movement appears to be an ETA-ESA 9150, which would date it about ten years later, more like 1968-70.
Re: Electra [message #3168 is a reply to message #3162] Fri, 28 February 2014 22:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MikeTheWatchGuy
Messages: 319
Registered: May 2013
Location: North Carolina
Gruen Guildsman

Righton the $$

I didn't see it in the 1970 Gruen catalog. And got bitten by stretching round cased Gruen Style Numbers. I should know better. Thank you for that clarification. What tipped you off? My path to education myself on your ESA IDwas through Jules Borel. None of my Bestfits nor older 1950's catalogs showed the 150 caliber (Newall, Marshall, Quickfit, etc).
Re: Electra [message #3188 is a reply to message #3168] Sun, 02 March 2014 23:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MikeTheWatchGuy
Messages: 319
Registered: May 2013
Location: North Carolina
Gruen Guildsman

Can anyone figure out how find that this is an ESA movement? I still am not able to find the missing link.
Re: Electra [message #3191 is a reply to message #3188] Mon, 03 March 2014 03:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MonKee is currently offline  MonKee
Messages: 177
Registered: May 2013
Location: Finger Lakes
Gruen Guildsman
Mike it's a ESA 9150 which was introduced in 1968. In 1970 it was replaced with ESA 9154. You can see photos of these movements here : http://www.electric-watches.co.uk
There is also a decent write up and photo's of Electric watches that Gruen sold.
Re: Electra [message #3192 is a reply to message #3168] Mon, 03 March 2014 03:59 Go to previous message
C. Hurt is currently offline  C. Hurt
Messages: 243
Registered: May 2013
Gruen Guildsman
MikeTheWatchGuy wrote on Fri, 28 February 2014 16:23
...What tipped you off?


I wasn't tipped off. I knew that Gruen analog electronics all used either PUW, or ETA-ESA movements. Watches using either PUW or ESA movements use the same electronic logo on the dial.

As far as dating, the details of the watch are more telling than the numbers.

First, the only electric (not electronic) watches in 1957 were Hamilton 500 Electrics, Lip comes along a couple of years later, as does the Accutron. Then everybody else starts offering electric and electronic watches using movements made by one of a few makers.

The ESA 9150 was the first transistorized balance wheel movement, and it was introduced in 1967. Chances are about 80% that any Swiss movement marked electronic rather than electric, and with a balance rather than a tuning fork, will be some variant of the 9150. You will occasionally see balance wheel electronic movements from France (Lip), Germany (Junghans or PUW), USA (Timex) or Japan, (Citizen or Seiko) but if it's Swiss, it's pretty much limited to ESA or Bifora, and they look nothing alike.

The battery strap in your watch is pretty distinctive, narrowing it down to the 9150 or the 9154, which look very similar, but have some functional differences.

[Updated on: Mon, 03 March 2014 04:03]

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