Still luminous (a bit)...possibly an old re-lume.

Today, my Lexington. Even on my smallish wrist, it does seem tiny.

I had to add my NOS Gruen Curvex here Now Cary don't get jealeous

Check out this movement and even has original Gruen band LOL Had to put fresh battery in it. LOL

When were Gruens made in Japan? (Perhaps I'm reading the dial wrong?)

Regards,

Hey Rob and Rick,

That's a genuine Curvex all right, made sometime in the last 20 years or so. I've seen them cased in solid 14K as well. Some were made in Switzerland, but most of the good quality ones were Japanese.

When the original Gruen company failed, the name was sold to a licensing agency (as were Elgin, Waltham and Benrus) and was one of the first names used on what we would call "retro" watches in the late 1970s. I believe that they pre-dated the Hamilton re-issues by a couple of years. To be honest, it was an ad for one of these that got me started on my unfortunate predeliction for Gruen's. It was just luck that I managed to get a genuine vintage one before I found a re-issue, because at the time, I didn't know the difference.

Thanks Cary I thought I was posting a little chuckle with a fake Gruen. Thanks for info I wondered how all these companies we once new for quality watches are now turning up with their names on cheapo's.

i bought this lot for the elgin at the bottom. that was well over a year ago. last night, thanks to the help of my very good friend and dedicated watchman, i took it apart, cleaned it, lubed it and put it back together. it even ran. it was a great experience. i'll take some final pics this weekend.

Brad,
in future would you please post pictures of multiple watches like
you've shown above as a separate, stand alone topic on
The " All Wristwatches Discussion Forum" and NOT under
the "Which wristwatch did you wear today" topic.
Thank you in advance.

well dave, i did wear it that day.

with the exception of the unfortunate presence of the other two, could you explain how that picture is different than the one you posted above?

Brad,
I'm not sure which picture of mine you're referring to. Normally picture(s) of a single watch
which "was worn today" are shown on this particular topic.

dave, i hope this one is what you had in mind!

Brad,

Thanks so much for showing this really interesting watch. I don't understand the "offset" watches. Perhaps someone will help me learn why this was done.

Please post wrist watch related items and ideas on our site. This is our site. We need more wristwatch people, if only to keep the pocket watch folks on their toes.

william, i wish i knew more about the offset style. it certainly takes a bit of getting used to, but i really like it.

by the way, thanks in part to your glowing recommendation, international is refinishing my sterling grant dial for me.

i know dave has forgotten more about watches than i will probably ever know, as well as you for that matter. maybe he knows what's up with the offset style?

Brad, Bill,

The offset style is pretty simple to understand if you look closely at what you've got. When Elgin began advertising wristwatches in 1912, they, like almost everyone else, simply added lugs to pendant watch cases. Most of these were mated to movements intended for hunter cases, with the winding mechanism at "3", resulting in the traditional layout that we're all used to.

As with men's pocket watches, open faced pendant models seem to have been more popular than the more expensive hunter versions, so there were many traditional open-faced (winding at "12") movements available in 0, 3/0 and even 6/0 size. As demand increased for wristwatches (spurred by their used in WW1) the open-face movements were pressed into service. While you occasionally see an original combination in a "sidewinder" ("9" at the top, "12" at the winding crown) configuration, it's pretty awkward to read, so the cases were adapted to make the 12 closer to the position we're used to. I have a repro catalog from 1916 showing a fixed lug three piece case by Dueber featuring this winding set-up.

I've had watches like this with movements by Elgin, Illinois, Hampden and Waltham, (plus a few Swiss) and they almost always date to the war years or just after, 1915-1920. The last watches made this way, to my knowledge, are the New Haven "Tip-Top" dollar wristwatches which were marketed into the late 1920s.

For what it's worth, another way to utilize these open face movements in a conventional wristwatch case is to clip the 4th wheel pinion and have no sub-seconds on the dial. Since customers seemed to prefer the moving seconds hand (then as now), you could also change the dial design so that the seconds show at "9", a tactic used to great effect by Illinois in many of their classic designs. I have had seconds at "9" Waltham and Elgin wristwatches as well, but nobody used it as a design element quite like Iliinois.

Regards,

Cary

thanks cary!

Here is one of the "awkward" ones Cary mentioned.

And this, today's watch being worn, is another early wristwatch attempt - nickel 0-size case with wire lugs.

That's gorgeous Dan.

Here is a photograph of the watch I just received. This Hamilton Tonneau has a radium burn and a ding in the corner of the bezel....but i love it.

"it got"?

what school i went?

Brad, That little file folder symbol at the edge of your post will allow you to change/edit your post. I hope you won't mind me taking the liberty of adjusting your post in the manner you suggested. You can always change it back!

Your friend,

William

thanks William! i didn't realize the board had an edit feature.

you make me sound much smarter than i am. good work!