$995
Pre-owned Gruen 20mm Curvex Gold Filled, Silver Dial, Leather Strap Ref. 280
In 1935, Gruen released the Curvex, which was one of its most successful models. The Curvex included a patented curved movement design, which allowed for a larger movement that was consequently more accurate. In addition to greater accuracy, the curved design was comfortable and attractive, which helped make it a hit. The watch presented here is powered by a caliber 330, which makes it a circa 1937 issue. The silver dial with applied Arabic numerals has small speckles from aging that are visible under magnification but do not impact the legibility. The 10K gold filled case is intact and does not show wear through, as may occur in older gold filled watches. The case has the requisite scratches and nicks as expected for a watch from 1937, with the most prominent being a small crease on the side next to the crown.
Only 1 left in stock
| Band Color | Black |
|---|---|
| Band Material | Leather |
| Box and Papers | No Box | No Papers |
| Band Type | Strap |
| Brand | Gruen |
| Caliber | 330 |
| Case Material | Yellow Gold Filled |
| Case Size | 20mm |
| Caseback | Solid |
| Crystal Material | Acrylic |
| Dial Color | Silver |
| Movement | Manual |
| Size | < = 30mm |
| Warranty | 1-Year Watchworks Guarantee |
| Item ID | 0004960 |
|---|---|
| Model # | 280 |
| Model Name | Curvex |
| Year Produced | ca 1937 |
Gruen was founded in 1894 and initially imported Swiss movements that they added to cases, which was not an uncommon practice for early watch companies. Perhaps their first widely successful watch was the VeriThin pocket watch they produced in 1904, which was a third thinner than any other pocket watch then produced. Gruen was an early producer of wristwatches, releasing its first wristwatches in 1908. Models for women sold more than those for men, which took a world war for men to widely move from pocket watches to wristwatches. Gruen was able to survive the Great Depression largely due to the fact that they produced wristwatches for men and women as opposed to simply pocket watches.
In 1935, Gruen released the Curvex, which was one of its most successful models. The Curvex included a patented curved movement design, which allowed for a larger movement that was consequently more accurate. In addition to greater accuracy, the curved design was comfortable and attractive, which helped make it a hit. When World War II began, American companies were forced to switch from watches to producing instruments for the military. Swiss watch companies filled the gap for the American market and by 1952, both of the family members who ran the company had passed away. The company soon was overcome and divided up in 1958, with the factory sold to Rolex. The remaining records were destroyed and the Gruen company passed into horological history.
