Hi, I am looking for info on a Verithin with the following markings;on the balance cock; Conoruma,Switzerland,GXC.on the barrel bridge;17jewels, unadjusted,4-199598. Stamped in the pillar plate near the balance wheel circumference 385. Specifically a parts list and maybe a history would be nice. Thanks for any and all help. John

John,

Is this a 17 Ligne Pocketwatch? If so, it could be a calibre 385, which is in the Bestfit #111 Encyclopedia with part info on Page 55.

There is limited info on Gruens, but a nice site is:

http://www.pixelp.com/gruen/

Mike,
Yes it is a 17 ligne pocket watch. Figured I had a problem when it took awhile for an answer. Where can I find a Bestfit #111 Encyclopedia?
Thanks, John

John,

The two volume set is usually available from most of the supply houses (Casker, Jules Borel). These are material guides for mainly swiss watches. They list Bestfit part numbers for various replacement parts for various calibres.

For the 385 they list the following Bestfit numbers:

Staff: 389
Stem: 403F
Pallet Arbor: 46P
Roller: 208R
White-A-Loy Mainspring: 24V
Mainspring Dennison dimentions: 2x4x16

That's about all that the Bestfit system offers in way of replacement parts.

Hope this is helpful, I wish I could tell you more about the history, but a lot of the Gruen records were destroyed many years ago, so a serial number look-up to determine manufacture dates isn't possible.

Mike, I thank you for your help. I have read the web site that you mentioned previously on Gruen. I have two 385's both are running fine after a cleaning but only one has a case. Would you know if any 39mm/17L case would be suitable to case this movement in or does it have to be specific to the movement? Thanks, John

I know that they were cased at Gruen. I have not examined that particular calibre, but the others I have seen need a specialized case since they are so thin. Perhaps someone else has more experience with this later calibre