A stunning classic Gruen Curvex Vintage wristwatch. Collector consignment.

A stunning classic Gruen Curvex Vintage wristwatch.  Collector consignment.  Full details and price to be provided mid September.

This is a true Curvex and not a Curvex dial with another Gruen movement inside.  Orginal Gruen Curvex models are becoming more difficult to acquire as collectors are generally "holding" stock rather than selling it.  Give the influx of Counterfeit classic watches it's not a surprise that the prices appear to have been driven down on many models as collectors can discern the Originals from the fakes and simply will not buy them, thereby, driving the price of the fakes down.  

However this is not the case with the genuine pieces as collectors typically control the price and few would be fooled by the imitation Curvexes on the market today.  It is our belief that as long as collectors "hold" a particular model, in this case the Curvex,  that the shrinkage of the supply of the "genuine" article will continue to push the price up.  And lets face it, they aren't making the genuine antique article any longer so supply will always be fixed or diminishing making these classics an excellent investment for a collector.

Today, many collectors cherish the Gruen Curvex as reminders of the heyday of the American watch industry. This particular watch is from a collector we deal with regularly and who takes great care and concern with all of his collectables.  You will not be disappointed with the excellent example of a Classic Gruen Curvex.  More information on Gruen Curvex is referenced below.  

"The Gruen Watch Company was one of the most respected American watch companies in the first half of the 20th century, operating in “The Queen City” (Cincinnati, OH) for over 50 years. Ol' Blue Eyes was even known to wear a Gruen and let's be real, if Gruen watches are good enough for Frank Sinatra, they're definitely good enough for you."  

"The most famous Gruen wristwatch was the Curvex. These watches are one of the greatest examples of 1930s streamlined design. The patent for the movement was applied for (in both Switzerland and the U.S.) in 1929. U.S. patent 1,855,952 was granted on April 26, 1932 to Emile Frey of Bienne, Switzerland, but assigned to the Gruen Watch Company. It was later reissued as Re. 20,480 under Gruen President Benjamin Katz's name in 1937, after Frey's death. The first watches went on sale in 1935. Gruen’s Curvex watch was introduced in the 1930s and was a breakthrough in watch design by combining a curved watch with a curved movement. Gruen’s advertisements at the time stated that one famous newspaper columnist called the Curvex “the world’s first true wristwatch” since the watches fit the natural curve of the wrist. Imitators made curved watches that would use smaller, flat movements that sacrificed accuracy, ruggedness, and durability."

Quote from www.hodinkee.com.

Also see http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/2009/5/12/the-american-icons-auction-frank-sinatras-gruen-sammy-daviss.html to find reference to Frank Sinatras Curvex watches sold at auction.

A great article on Gruen and the evolution of the Curvex in the Depression era have a look at this article.  http://www.pixelp.com/gruen/1929.html