Vintage Gruen: 1940's » "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family

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"Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12824]

Thu, 09 July 2020 19:40

thesnark17
Messages: 654
Registered: January 2017

Gruen Master

Model name : Trooper
Type : Curvex
Period/date : 1940s to post-war
Gender : men's

Case Maker : Wadsworth
Case Material : either 14k gold, 10k gold, or 10k gold over sterling silver (all shown below)
Case Serial :
Case Style no : 450

Caliber : 440
Movement Maker : Gruen Precision factory
Movement Serial:

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6531&private=0

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Attachment: 440:450 14k back.jpg
(Size: 1.08MB, Downloaded 1586 times)
Attachment: 440:450 14k mvt.jpg
(Size: 974.95KB, Downloaded 1591 times)
Attachment: 440:450 family back.jpg
(Size: 1.86MB, Downloaded 1573 times)
Attachment: 440:450 family.jpg
(Size: 1.85MB, Downloaded 1666 times)

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12825 is a reply to message #12824]

Thu, 09 July 2020 19:44

thesnark17
Messages: 654
Registered: January 2017

Gruen Master

This seems a fitting place to memorialize my Trooper family. All the case types, and two of the dial styles.

I had to sell the 14k one - it goes into the mail today. But here's a shot of them all together.

If anyone is interested, I'm probably going to sell the left-most (10k GF) one. It has a bad balance, but otherwise looks good. Now that I don't have the set, I have no reason to keep it. You can tell from the picture which one gets worn... (I really like the tarnished sterling look.)

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12826 is a reply to message #12825]

Thu, 09 July 2020 20:10

Gary
Messages: 2209
Registered: May 2013
Location: Seattle

Gruen Authority
Cheerleader

Wonderful collection of pink troopers! Funny you collected pink, I collected yellow.

Gotta wonder if the gold in the trooper case line had a different alloy makeup because of the war? My GF trooper is tarnished like yours. Out of all my 100 so ought gruens this is the only tarnished one I have run into except now seeing yours.

Solid gold troopers seems to be the norm as well. The inscribed one is solid. I would loved to added the one you sold to my collection. Very Happy

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Attachment: trooper (2).jpg
(Size: 164.97KB, Downloaded 1354 times)
Attachment: trooper (1).jpg
(Size: 169.38KB, Downloaded 1892 times)

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12827 is a reply to message #12826]

Thu, 09 July 2020 20:43

thesnark17
Messages: 654
Registered: January 2017

Gruen Master

My tarnished one is 10k on a sterling base. I'm pretty sure that the tarnish is silver tarnish migrating through the gold. Does yours have an S on the case beneath 440 450? If so it's sterling base too. I'm 99% confident already.

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12829 is a reply to message #12827]

Thu, 09 July 2020 20:57

Ephemerald
Messages: 1039
Registered: October 2018
Location: City of Lake Salt

Gruen Authority

Your lugs look tarnished where Gary's does not at all, interesting....hard to tell for sure though.

Matthias

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12830 is a reply to message #12829]

Thu, 09 July 2020 21:44

Gary
Messages: 2209
Registered: May 2013
Location: Seattle

Gruen Authority
Cheerleader

Yes the S notation. Just seems some what of a coincidence that 2 troopers have it.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6534&private=0

Attachment: trooper back.jpg
(Size: 139.24KB, Downloaded 1301 times)

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12831 is a reply to message #12830]

Fri, 10 July 2020 02:14

thesnark17
Messages: 654
Registered: January 2017

Gruen Master

Tons of watches have it. I collect them. I can show you wristwatches, pocketwatches, whatever you want to see. Nearly all with that tarnish; all with sterling base.

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12832 is a reply to message #12831]

Fri, 10 July 2020 02:47

timeliz
Messages: 602
Registered: May 2013
Location: Northern California

Gruen Master

I also have numerous sterling base cases,
and all of them tarnish if I don't keep them polished.

Like that's gonna happen.

"Some days are diamonds, some days are stones..." -John Denver

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12842 is a reply to message #12832]

Sat, 11 July 2020 02:19

JackW
Messages: 2013
Registered: May 2013
Location: Denver

Gruen Authority
Head Janitor
Site Admin

On one of the Facebook watch groups, there was a similar discussion on the tarnishing of gold over silver filled metal. I posited that the materials that the storage box is made from may be off-gassing something (formaldehyde? hydrogen sulfide?) and potentially exacerbating the tarnishing. I'd suggest a ziploc baggie; the tarnish is coming from reaction with something in the air (sulfur based generally).

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

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12849 is a reply to message #12842]

Sat, 11 July 2020 16:32

thesnark17
Messages: 654
Registered: January 2017

Gruen Master

Yes - anything you can do to prevent air circulation is good. Silver tarnishes (slowly) in plain air, even without additional environmental factors.

I like the tarnish look though (at least when it's uniform and well-developed). It's actually a big part of the reason that I pick up the sterling ones whenever I can.

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12851 is a reply to message #12849]

Sat, 11 July 2020 21:48

timeliz
Messages: 602
Registered: May 2013
Location: Northern California

Gruen Master

Silver based cases are my preference. Even when the gold layer wears off, the case is still beautiful, and no wear-through holes as with other base metals.

"Some days are diamonds, some days are stones..." -John Denver

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Re: "Trooper" 440 Curvex style 450 family [message #12852 is a reply to message #12851]

Sat, 11 July 2020 23:47

thesnark17
Messages: 654
Registered: January 2017

Gruen Master

And that's the other part!

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