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stainless steel Curvex [message #6277] Sat, 21 November 2015 16:05 Go to previous message
JackW is currently offline  JackW
Messages: 1938
Registered: May 2013
Location: Denver
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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
  • Attachment: case_data.jpg
    (Size: 106.37KB, Downloaded 1167 times)
  • Attachment: curved.jpg
    (Size: 101.41KB, Downloaded 1161 times)
  • Attachment: dial.jpg
    (Size: 123.18KB, Downloaded 1148 times)
  • Attachment: front.jpg
    (Size: 92.62KB, Downloaded 1154 times)
  • Attachment: movement.jpg
    (Size: 122.29KB, Downloaded 1101 times)
  • Attachment: the_triad.jpg
    (Size: 108.35KB, Downloaded 1149 times)


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: Sat, 21 November 2015 16:07]

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