1920s Art Deco Chased Case Gruen Quadron Watch

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$872.00

• Details
  1920’s and 30’s, what a decade, depression, the worst drought in American History, Between 1930 and 1933, more than 9,000 banks closed in the U.S., taking with them more than $2.5 billion in deposits.
  
  
  
  Then, FDR was elected and started the healing process. Comedy programs like Amos ‘n’ Andy kept the badly battered American psyche laughing. Benny Goodman offered some dance music to start the healing. In 1936 FDR was reelected. By the end of the 1930’s we came out of the depression.
  
  
  In years from the 1920s through the 1940s, the Gruen Watch Company of USA & Switzerland was one of the leaders in wristwatch design and quality, even working together with Rolex.
  
  
  Read my reviews, my passion is undeniably out of control, what I produce are beautiful watches.
  
  
  
  In 1925, Gruen introduced the men's Quadron. Similar in concept to the women's Cartouche models, these were rectangular watches containing very high-quality 15-j or 17-j tonneau-shaped movements. A larger movement is generally more reliable and accurate, and is generally more rugged, than a smaller one of the same quality, so the Gruen Cartouche and Quadron, with their case-filling, purpose-built movements performed much better than the small, round movements used by most of their competitors at the time. Round movements were still used in the less expensive rectangular Gruen wristwatches.
  
  
  
  According to their advertising, Gruen submitted a consecutive run of 200 ordinary Quadron movements for observatory chronometer tests in Switzerland. There was not a category for wristwatches in 1925, so they were tested to pocket watch standards. Each of the 200 were granted a certificate for timekeeping excellence, which Fred Gruen believed to be a record at the time. These were the earliest American wristwatches to qualify as serious timekeeping instruments on par with a pocket watch. The efforts of companies like Gruen during this era helped change the public's negative attitude towards men's wristwatches.
  When was the last time you saw pristine 14 karat white gold filled original art deco case with a Quadron caliber 157. I have taken some very close pictures to illustrate the ageless beauty of the slice of yesteryear. This case is amazing. The case is untouched and looks beautiful.
  
  
  
  The Quadron collection consisted of the following calibers as the years went by:
  
  
  117 17 jewel
  
  119 17 jewel
  
  123 17 jewel
  
  157 15 jewel
  
  325 17 jewel
  
  3251 21 jewel
  
  877 Techniquadron
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The dial and hands were most likely restored in the past. The watch looks band new for 90 years young.
  
  
  
  The caliber 157 runs very well. I have had this watch for several years. I do not remember the last time it was serviced. The movement is very clean for its age. No pitting and minor rust that is so prevalent in Quadrons.
  
  
  
  Look at the case detail; notice the case corners are sharp and not rounded. Look closely, no noticeable brassing on the usual high points. This is hard to come by in a gold filled case that is almost 90 years old. There are flea bite wear on the bezel corners
  
  
  
  The case measures 22 MM wide (without crown), approximately 31 MM long (without lugs). The case back is clean, bright and wells preserved!
  
  
  
  The band is a brand new 16MM genuine leather band with a silver tang buckle to match the case color
  
  
  
  Use the pictures are part of the description. I have tried to take close ups. The pictures do represent the watch very well. This is a USA listing only. My handling time to ship is approximately 10 days as I travel a lot. Please keep that in mind. The watch is being sold as is, keep that in mind.
  
  
  
  Vintage watches are vintage watches; they can be like a vintage sports car. They can be temperamental at times. I have worn this watch for the last do two subjecting it to positional timing and it has kept remarkably accurate time
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