Vintage 1925 Gruen Caliber 705-1 Watch: 15 Jewels, Exquisite Condition, Art Deco Timepiece

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$572.25 $763.00

• Details
  Gruen, one of my favorite vintage watch manufacturers. The flew under the radar for many of their early years. Here is a “Did You Know” Rolex and Gruen had their factories across the street in Bienne Switzerland.
  
  Both companies collaborated on several projects together, famously the Gruen “Doctor” watch in the 1930s, both used essentially the same movement and stylized cases. They have become highly collectible today. Hans Wildorf and Gruen were close friend personally.
  
  
  This model is often referred caliber 705, it was introduced 100 years ago, in 1925. It is a magnificent 15 jewel motor with deep Swiss origins. It uses the caliber 705. Keep this in mind, the wrist watch revolution started approximately 10 years before this model was introduced. What a design and manufacturing accomplishment in 10 years. What a beautiful survivor.
  
  
  look at the case carefully. The corners are crisp and well defined. A real survivor today.
  
  
  The dial and hands were profesionally refinished with safe luminous material.
  
  
  The Gruen 705
  
  
  The Gruen Caliber 705 is a 15-jewel, 10.5-ligne movement.
  
  
  Here's a more detailed breakdown:
  
  
  Movement Type: The Caliber 705 is a 15-jewel movement.
  
  
  Size: It has a 10.5-ligne
  
  
  Marking: Caliber numbers are usually marked on the pillar plate, typically between the escape wheel finger and the balance wheel.
  
  
  Usage: It was used in various Gruen watches, including the Veri-Thin models.
  
  
  Gruen Watch Co.: Founded in 1894 by German-born watchmaker Dietrich Grün, who changed the spelling of his name to "Gruen" because the letter ü does not exist in English.
  
  
  Business Years: Gruen Watch Co. was in business from about 1894 to 1958 and was based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  
  
  Further partnerships, there is no connection between Aegler and Alpina, other than the name appearing on some of the dials. Simply put, the Aegler-Gruen-Rolex relationship goes back much further than the Alpina-Gruen one, and it was a supplier-consumer relationship.
  
  
  What was completed on this watch
  
  
  Case was gently restored and hand polished
  
  
  Dial and hands were sent out for professional refinishing, with safe luminous material
  
  
  The 705 movement was torn down and had a comprehensive service
  
  
  New Crystal installed
  
  
  New watch band installed
  
  
  This Gruen watch measures 28MM side to side (excluding crown) and 34MM from top lug to bottom lug.
  
  
  Jules Aegler supplied Rebberg movements to both Gruen and Rolex, at least as early as 1912, and probably before (perhaps as early as 1908). Fred Gruen and Hans Wilsdorf combined to finance the expansion of Aegler's production, and ended up as equal partners with Jules Aegler in a cooperative venture called Aegler, Societe Anonyme, Fabrique des Montres Rolex & Gruen Guild A. Gruen would eventually make a strategic decision to consolidate all of their movement production into their Precision factory in Biel, and would sell out their shares in the Aegler venture to Rolex in 1934.
  
  
  The second part of the story comes when Alpina and Gruen formed a joint marketing venture in 1929. Most of the watches I've seen were Gruen products either branded Alpina or co-branded with both names. I've never seen an Alpina produced watch with the Gruen name. I have Alpina or co-branded examples fitted with Gruen calibers 98, 157 and 179. This venture was apparently quite one-sided, and never lived up to either sides expectations. It was dissolved by joint agreement in 1937.
  
  
  The doctor's watches were one of the main products of the Alpina-Gruen Gilde, apparently marketed largely in the UK, where most of the co-branded duo-dials appear to originate.
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