Mon, 27 February 2023 20:49

Red plastic display case. Red silk watch holder. Red fabric in lid with golden Gruen The precision watch. Both inserts made of paper. Feels cheap…
Family from this white box: https://vintagegruen.org/vgforum/index.php?t=msg&th=1939 &start=0&


Period: Early 1950s.
Watch type: Unknown
Size: tbd
Inventor: Unknown
Patents: Unknown, "Pat Pend"

Box maker: BCN

Tue, 27 December 2022 18:53

Model name : 50th Anniversary
Type : Pocket watch
Period/date : 1924 (The movement was made in 1924, but it is unclear when this watch was cased and sold)
Gender : Men's

Case Maker : Gruen Cincinnati
Case Material : 18kt white gold
Case Serial : 1072311
Case Style no : none
Case Inscription (inside caseback): "Made Especially for Gilbert J Easton"

Caliber : See below
Movement Maker : Gruen
Movement Serial: 204

Movement details from Priceless Possessions of A Few by Fuller.

• 17-linge (approximately 10-size) open face, 23 jewels (21 extra quality ruby jewels, plus two faceted diamond cap jewels over escape wheel and balance wheel pivots on upper plates)
  
• 12kt gold plates (total 19 penny weight), individually engraved in floral relief pattern
  
• Steel cup in each counter-bored hole for plate screws
  
• Follow-up die used to slightly bevel around edge of spoke and inside rim of wheels
  
• Gold plated train wheels
  
• Chronometer style balance with solid gold screws
  
• Detachable staff which can be removed without disturbing relationship of balance hairspring, collet, and roller jewel
  
• Jewel pin fastened in balance arm with a bearing twice the length of the usual watch, making it doubly secure against coming loose
  
• Double steel roller
  
• Hand finished visible steel escapement with posing arms
  
• Patent micrometic regulator of continuous equal action
  
• Meantime adjusting gold screws
  
• True isochronal and Breguet hairspring
  
• Finest Swiss mainspring of lasting quality and great elasticity made by hand-rubbing so that the motive power is practically constant whether watch is fully wound or nearly run down
  
• Patented American pendant-set device of very few pieces
  
• Geneva style stop works and cut-away barrel bridges
  
• Eight adjustments to all positions, isochronism and temperature
  
• Fine Silver dial
  
• Patented inverted (Verithin) wheel train construction
  
• Extra finely finished in all details
  

Wed, 30 November 2022 20:34

Description
Fake leather paper and wood box. Greek golden (faded) rim. Gruen service crest inside. Exists of two parts, bottom and lid. Inside the case there is a black velvet removable holder with two metal holders, wit a foldable part for presentation.

Period: 1920-1930
Watch type: men wrist watch (strap, f.e. Quadron)
Size: 21.5cm wide, 2cm high, 4.8 cm deep.
Inventor:unknown
Patents: pat. Mar. 10. 1925 (USD66772 Harold R Haerr)

Box maker. Unkown.

Marked DG&S on the movement; Fri, 04 November 2022 17:17

Here is an interesting one currently on the swamp. We've always seen these Gubelin's and the relationship to the guilds but this one has the Gruen markings to go with it.





Cheers!

1933; Sun, 16 October 2022 18:56

Period: 1933
Watch type: tbd
Size: tbd
Inventor: na
Patents: na

Time for me to share a box. But going for fastest post ever.
Side photo reads " 704s Rec'd Dec 30, 1933"

"Veri-Thin Pan American"; Mon, 03 October 2022 04:43

Gruens have many dial variants, so that's one reason we ID a Gruen by it's case. But what about when the watchcase looks like this?






No doubt a genuine model based off this photo from my copy of "Masterbook" (Flex bracelet dates to later period)







Did Gruen just slap on a diff dial on a Pan Am Ace case n call it good? Probably!

But the point of this post is to assign a name to my watch. This watch has an inscription with a date:1948.


First one I find with my model is August 1948. "Gruen Veri-Thin Pan American" Interesting but I too thought it must be a mistake.





Thought:1948 is a year that Gruen was the official timepiece of Pan American Airways.

Second ad is in June 48 for Father's Day sale.







Thought: While most Pan Ams are Veri-Thins, they are seldom advertised or classified this way. It usually goes in order Gruen Pan American "Ace". They keep calling Strap 570 model "Veri-Thin Pan American".

Third ad is June 1948 Father's Day again, wait is this a National ad campaign?










Normally three separate ads is enough for me to accept a Gruen Watch model name. But I'm STILL skeptical but important clue in that last ad; Esquire. Yes, Strap 570 featured in a nation wide ad campaign. What is the name of my watch?

Sat, 30 July 2022 14:00

Model name: yet unknown
Type: Curvex
Period/date: 1948
Gender: Male

Case Maker: William B. Ogush, Inc., New York
Case Material: 14K yellow gold
Case Serial: U25393
Case Style no: 440 - 584

Caliber: 440
Movement Maker: Gruen
Movement Serial: B 7499

Bracelet: none

Other info:






This model is quite flat – unusual for a Curvex:














Inside there are two trademarks of William B. Ogush, Inc. (WBO in the following), the well-known WBO logo



and the lesser known “two diamonds” trademark of WBO:



I guess, the „two diamonds” brand was used to mark the case material – in this case, 14K gold.
A good abstract of WBO’s history was published in the „Cincinnati Enquirer“ of June 28, 1951:



There were two dial variants – the one shown with 12 numerals and a variation with markers and numerals (2-4-8-10-12):

https://gruen.watch/?product=gruen-curvex-440-584

Tue, 19 July 2022 17:59

Model name: Gruen Superior Verithin
Type: Pocket Watch
Period/date: 1900-1910, perhaps 1906-1907
Gender: Men's

Case Maker: Wadsworth
Case Material: 25 yr Gold Filled Amer. Made
Case Serial: 308892
Case Style no: n/a

Caliber: LV2, 16j, with swan neck regulator
Movement Maker: Gruen (unsigned)
Movement Serial: 330600 ?

Other info: I am not usually a pocket watch guy, but the Superior Verithin movement is an odd bird. Looking back, I've seen exactly 6. None captured on the forum so far (I think), and only a few oblique references. I'm hoping folks may have seen more & have more info. Only seller pics for now (with permission).

Tue, 19 July 2022 11:57

Now this can be called an innovative and unique watch box. Wonder if they made just one...

A solid gold autowind presented to Cincinnati Redlegs slugger Ted Kluszewski in November 1955. This "box" should be worth some money...

Mon, 18 July 2022 02:44

Model name: --
Type: pocket watch
Period/date: c. 1910s
Gender: women

Caliber: unknown
Size: 10''' (22.5mm)
Jewel count: 16 or (more likely) 17
Movement Maker: unknown, possibly LeCoultre
Movement Serial: 7001
Movement markings: Gruen Adjusted Swiss




Condition: not running, lower balance pivot is mushroomed