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ID'd my grandmother's watch - Venus [message #4415]

Fri, 24 October 2014 23:40

JackW
Messages: 2144
Registered: May 2013
Location: Denver

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Model name : Venus
Type : Bagette
Period/date : 1930's
Gender : Woman's watch

Case Maker : Hallmarked Gruen
Case Material : 14k WGF
Case Serial :2193985
Case Style no :155/130

Caliber : case marked 155 movement present is cal 685 (7 jewels)
Movement Maker : Gruen but noted as Venus 55 in the Green Gruen Guide
Movement Serial: na

Bracelet : Appears to be stainless; might be original.
References: found in Barnett's Gruen The 1930's - A Decade of Watches, page 44

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Recently visited with my parents and my mom brought out a small box of old watches. One of which is a watch that belong to my grandmother.

Golly! There's a Gruen in the family.
Here is the front of the case...
index.php?t=getfile&id=1801&private=0

Sorry about the reflection on the crystal.
Here's the inside...
index.php?t=getfile&id=1800&private=0

As you can see there is a mismatch between the movement and the stampings in the case. And the shape of the movement.

So, Mike B was at my house this past weekend* and I brought this one out. He'd brought his copy of the master book and we looked it up. It should have a cal 155 inside not the 7 jewel cal 685. Unfortunately I forgot to write down the ID from the book. It is a model 8xx or something. Any want to help out with that?

According to my mom, her mother bought this watch just before meeting my grandfather; she needed a watch for her new job at the time and that is where they met. That dates this to 1932, which jives pretty well with the known data on the caliber. She wore it well into the 1960s when my Grandfather bought her a new watch. This time a Hamilton. My mom has that too; that thing is freakin' tiny.

I hope to get this back to my mom so she can wear it too. Hence I'm on the hunt for a 155.

*no this was not some dream, he was in Colorado visiting family and stopped in. Great visit!

edited to remove big fat mistake.
edit #2 - Added ID info at front of OP

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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, 01 November 2014 22:50]

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[Message index]

		ID'd my grandmother's watch - Venus By: JackW on Fri, 24 October 2014 23:40
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: timeliz on Sat, 25 October 2014 00:08
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: JackW on Sat, 25 October 2014 00:14
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: Gary on Sat, 25 October 2014 03:10
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: JackW on Sat, 25 October 2014 03:16
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: Barney Green on Sat, 25 October 2014 07:45
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: JackW on Sat, 25 October 2014 14:03
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: timeliz on Mon, 27 October 2014 00:28
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: JackW on Tue, 28 October 2014 04:22
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: JackW on Thu, 30 October 2014 03:05
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: timeliz on Thu, 30 October 2014 17:34
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: timeliz on Thu, 30 October 2014 20:29
		Re: ID my grandmother's watch By: JackW on Fri, 31 October 2014 02:56

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