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Unusual Ladies Wristwatch Box

Thu, 20 February 2020 17:45

Period : 1910s
Watch type : Ladies (watch shown is just for size reference)
Size : Approximately 4" x 3" x 1.5"
Inventor : Unknown
Patents : Unknown
Box maker : Unmarked

I have no idea what the "I.W. 1917" marking means. My best guess is that perhaps there was an option to personalize the box and that these are the original owners initials and the year of purchase/gifting.

1910s and prior | 1 comment

Curvex Box “Gray Egg” 1950 and later

Thu, 13 February 2020 17:25

Period : 1950 and later

Watch type : Gruen Curvex

Size : Height 11 cm (4 5/16”), Depth 7 cm (2 ¾”), width 5.4 cm (2 1/8”)

Inventor : Francis E. Blod and Alfred M. Blumenfeld

Patents : US Patent 2,667,967 and US Design Patent 161,898 (both applied on Sep. 21, 1950)

Box maker : Braun-Crystal Manufacturing Co. and BCN Design Products Inc., respectively

Shortly after application of the patents the box was already advertised. Shown here is an ad issued in “The Ohio Daily Express” of October 13, 1950.

The box was sold together with an outer box - it looked like this:

https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/estate-jewelry/watches/gruen-curv ex-precision-gold-filled-watch/a/171820-73052.s

For more photos and for images of the patents see here:

http://vintagegruen.org/vgforum/index.php?t=msg&th=1288& amp;goto=12119&#msg_12119

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6131&private=0

1950s | 9 comments

Box with display stand

Gruen Veri-Thin; Wed, 12 February 2020 21:15

Description
A case that holds a pocketwatch and also serves as a display stand for the watch. The guarantee certificate is folded to the size of the box so you can see the number of jewels and adjusted positions.

Period : 1915-1923
Watch type : Pocketwatch
Size : 16
Inventor : Unknown
Patents : Unknown

Box maker : unknown

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6125&private=0

The dollar bill silver certificate piece in the bottom of the box is mystery.

1910s and prior | 4 comments

green black with silver rim

Wed, 12 February 2020 18:33

Description
Gruen top and black bottom hinged. Silver rim. Watch display holder from black velvet with Gruen cincinati label. Booklet Gruen watch guild workshops guarantee (A198 43550). It says "over 60 years" in the manufacture of fine watches--> 1874+60=1934

Period : 1934 - ?
Watch type : ladies baguette
Size : L=7cm W=12.2cm Hfront=3.1cm Hback=5cm
Inventor : unknown
Patents : unknown

Box maker : unknown

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6117&private=0

1930s | 4 comments

wristlet convertible

Wed, 12 February 2020 18:23

Description
Fake leather wooden box in greyish/taupe color with a gold print. Also the text "gruen wristlet watch" on the front side. Has a metal push button to open te case. Inside the case there is a greyish velvet holder for a convertible watch, smal metal strap and ribbon strap. Has silk in the lid stamped "gruen wristlet watch".

Period : 1918 - 1923?
Watch type : ladies convertible wristlet
Size : W=14.3cm D=6.5cm H=2.5cm
Inventor : unknown
Patents : unknown

Box maker : unknown

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6114&private=0

1910s and prior | 17 comments

metal fake brown leather

Wed, 12 February 2020 17:07

Description
Brown fake leather metal box hinged. Black velvet insert stamped gruen in gold. Silk lining in the lid with text "Gruen Wrist Watch". With paperwork "How to care for your watch" (A30A).

Period : 1915-1920?
Watch type : ladies strap wrist watch
Size : L=5cm W=10.2cm H=2.1cm
Inventor : Harry J Farrington?
Patents : Pattent on hinge?

Box maker : Farrington
Farrington custom packaging is foundend in 1920's in Boston (Jamaica Plain sta 30). Was a manufacturer of wrapped metal shell cases f.e. jewelry boxes and eye glass cases.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6110&private=0

1910s and prior | 4 comments

Box with strap holders

Tue, 11 February 2020 23:06

Description
A case wherein the various wrist bands used with wrist watches can be retained. Watch holder notches lined with velvet with a pair of hooks for an extra strap/belt. Under this, place for 6
bands of various materials and colours Recessed with ribs/ridges. A part of these bands can be seen through a window in the velvet upper.

Period : 1922 - 1923?
Watch type : ladies wristwatch
Size : unknown
Inventor : Harold R. Haerr (assignor to the gruen watch company)
Patents : US1477481A (filed june 15 1922, patented dec 11 1923)

Box maker : unknown

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6109&private=0
Internet photo user under fair-use for educational and non-commercial purposes

1920s | 1 comment

Paper box Gruen Time Hill

Tue, 11 February 2020 21:38

Description
On the outer box is a picture of the front page of the Gruen book “A worthy Company of watchmakers”. This book is from 1918. The inner box is also made of cardboard. Missing the watch holder.

Period : 1918 - 1928?
Watch type : ladies silk ribbon wristlet (educated guess)
Size : outer box (H=4cm W=11cm D=7.5cm), inner box (H=3.8cm W=10.1cm D=5.4cm)
Inventor : unknown
Patents : unknown

Box maker : Dennison Mfg Company
Impressed in the bottom of the inner box is “Dennison maker”. The Dennison Mfg. Company started in 1844 when Aaron Dennison (a Boston jeweller) began to make paper boxes. His father (Andrew) and he made a machine to facilitatie the making of cardboard boxes. At the time most jewel boxes were imported. In 1863 the company produced lots of paper stuff (jewelry tages, display cards) and in 1914 crepe paper. One of the sales offices was in Cincinnati. Today the factory still exists in combination with Avery.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6104&private=0

1910s and prior | 4 comments

template for BOX description

Tue, 11 February 2020 21:17

Please copy the fields below and paste into your post. Attach your pictures and fill out as many fields as you can. Look at other member posts for examples.
Tip: use a SHORT distuinguished descriptive name in your Title.

Description

Period:
Watch type:
Size:
Inventor:
Patents:

Box maker:

[Picture Outer box]
[Picture outside]
[Picture inside]
[Picture bottom]
[Picture paperwork]
[Picture ad]

1910s and prior | 0 comments

Caliber 650 (Guild)

17J, 17’’’; Tue, 11 February 2020 04:31

Caliber 650
Maker: edit: Record Dreadnought
Size: 17L
Jewels: 17 (#s only, pre-1922 tariff)
Adjustments: 4 at introduction, reduced to 3 by end of 1921
Dial release: side screws
Dial feet: 10 & 5

Some mentions of this caliber recently, so wanted to share 2 examples in hopes of learning more about it. This caliber appears to have been introduced at the end of 1920/beginning of 1921. When first introduced, it had 4 adjustments, and the serial number stamped on the bridges, in addition to identical sn on the front plate. The earliest Gruen version I’ve seen is sn 101874 that recently sold on the bay—this may have been a first run for Gruen. The earliest cased version I’ve seen is sn 103037 (still w/4 adj & bridge sn), in Gruen/Wadsworth-signed Ultra Qual case # 360419. That puts it at mid-1921, which along with the caliber # stamp on all examples I’ve seen is why i say it may have gone into use in 1921, with first production maybe at the end of 1920. The serial numbers accelerate quickly, seemingly far beyond Gruens usage, so likely it was the common maker’s sn series, not exclusive to Gruen. Hoping others can share any similar examples.

Seemingly still in 1921, this movement was redesigned to 3 adjustments and no sn on the bridges, possibly only a few months after introduction.

Here’s an early example, circa early 1921. Sn 102809, 4 adj. Silver dial stamped “650”. There is an obscured mark between bridges next the “650” stamp that resembles the overlapped “HC” Russbach Hanni logo shown on mikrolisk, but TBD if there is any relationship.

/vgforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=6091&private=0