Here is a Gruen 17 Jewel watch I just bought on Ebay for $17.00 plus pocket change. It is triple signed. It was extremely dirty with tape residue etc. on the case, the plastic lens had some light scratches. After some cleaning, and polishing it turned out pretty good. After a slight adjustment on the regulator it is keeping accurate time.
The hyphinated Veri-Thin dates this watch between 1930 and 1945.
Posts: 900 | Location: Wisconsin in the U.S.A. | Registered: April 28, 2008
Thanks John. I forgot to mention that it also came with a gold chain. I am very pleased with the watch. It has been keeping accurate time now for 4 days.
Posts: 900 | Location: Wisconsin in the U.S.A. | Registered: April 28, 2008
Here is my latest Gruen. It has the DGS (Dietrick Gruen & Son logo on the movement. I think the dial has real gold. The lettering in the seconds chapter is worn as is the lettering of the name. The rest of the dial is actually nicer that the camera can take a picture of.
The dial:
Posts: 900 | Location: Wisconsin in the U.S.A. | Registered: April 28, 2008
Here is the 17 jewel movement with the D Gruen & Son logo the case. The Gruen Watch Case Company logo is on the case. This dates this watch between 1898 and 1910. After 1911 the movements were simply signed Gruen.
Posts: 900 | Location: Wisconsin in the U.S.A. | Registered: April 28, 2008
And each of those cases are Cincinnati, Ohio made items from the most interesting of all US watch-related facilities. Casing and timing took place right here. East view of Gruen's Time Hill in Cincinnati, Ohio...
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
I was just looking at a 'veri-thin' with a Gruen marked gold filled case with a solid bow that housed a 12s 15j Gruen Swiss movement. It said 'Gruen Guild' on the movement, Swiss made, and the serial number was 748.
I can't find any entries in 'the book' regarding anything lower than a 17j. It had almost the same face as my 1925 Elgin 12s, so I'm assuming it dates to the 1920's. It ran well, clean Swiss movement with regulator dead center to the scale, and fired right up with one twist of the crown. VERY ornate hands.
He was asking $100 for it, but since I really don't know a thing about these, I passed...for now. Any thoughts at all on why Gruen 15j watches are never mentioned? Were they odd ball movements, or just run of the mill items for this company?
Regards! Mark
Posts: 3837 | Location: Estill Springs, Tennessee, USA | Registered: December 02, 2002
What I found so far is that Gruen used three different nomenclatures in the 1920’s: Semithin (15 J), Verithin (17J), and Ultrathin (21J). But, they did use Verithin for 15 jewel watches before 1920. I believe Verithin was used as early as 1898.
Here is a link some good Gruen information on the web: Gruen VeriThin
Posts: 900 | Location: Wisconsin in the U.S.A. | Registered: April 28, 2008