The Gruen Curvex - an American (?) icon
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Today we have the iconic Curvex on the bench, the often copied but never surpassed design. Gruen was famously an American watch company, but were their watches made in the US? Join Stian for a full service of this fabulous little watch as we discuss the history of Gruen and the Curvex. And we'll of course take a few detours as always :)
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bit.ly/3qAAPtX Ultrasonic cleaning solution
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Dietrich Gruen was one of my ancestors. We still own the birthplace, which is in Osthofen, and we still have many original recordings from that time in our family album. Very interesting to see that our family's history lives on in this form to this day :-)
Warm greetings from Osthofen, Rheinhessen in Germany
That's very cool to hear!
Another beautiful restoration and well edited video. Love all the macro work. Having cleaned quite a number of sprung watch straps like that I am well used to all the “wrist cheese” that they can accumulate 😂
Glad you didn’t censor it out!
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I really like rectangular watches. There are so many round watchfaces I am glad we have this classy option.
I also have a Gruen Curvex , and it is fun to learn the history and see the mechanism, very grateful
Now we know why Odin only has one eye, he was a watch maker too :)
Good thing you were wearing the loupe!
I have a Gruen Curvex Executive from 1949, completely cleaned and serviced in solid 14K yellow gold. Runs great now. Nice video!
Thanks as always for the informative and humorous video Stian. Also, for reminding us to clean our bracelets.
Happy Easter Stian, to you and your family. Needless to say, another fabulous restoration.
Thanks, you too!
There must be a lot of people not hitting the subscribe button for this guy, his content and comentery are really good and it doesn't cost owt as we say in Yorkshire, keep going mate it will come
Thanks Stephen 😊
That's a very nice watch, my father wore a tevo he got in the 40s, I would love to get it serviced, nobody here in Montana can get it running, its gold plated with 17 jewels
OMG!
70 years old curved movement !
Ingenuity and creativity of those who designed and build that piece of work (positively) without computers and cnc machines is amazing.
Also your work on servicing his little fella is top notch!
Thank you!
I'll put up with the gunk section to see the rest, it is such a pleasure, thanks for sharing!
Another fine video. I always enjoy the history lesson that accompanies the disassembly. It speaks to your encyclopedic knowledge of the watch industry. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
You’ve made your point. I’ll run my old bracelets through the ultrasonic cleaner today. You could have just told me to. You didn’t have to get graphic.
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@@VintageWatchServices hey I’n an earlier video you mentioned that we could pickup a pocket watch with a beautiful movement for around 200$ I would love to know which ones you were talking about? I’d appreciate it Thank you!!!!!
@@dolphlundgren2820k
I have several Gruens and they look wonderfully retro on my wrist.
Thank you for explaining your view on replace versus re-use the mainspring. I am newer and more hobbyist currently and have seen both claims by various channels, most re-use for the history which seems incorrect, but your explanation on lower amplitude to improve longevity over time of the parts really helps.
Glad it was helpful!
A former hand model AND master watchmaker! You are a man of exceptional talents. And thank you for another awesome video! Bravo!
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The sound of the bracelet pieces going into the cleaning liquid in slow-motion has always been fascinating to me sounds like some submariner sounds.
I wondered why you seldom replace the mainspring. Your logic is sound, and your demeanor is charming.
Thanks Craig 😊
Beautiful watch. Great job. Would appreciate some new videos. Enjoy watching and listening to your humor 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍
More to come!
What a beautiful watch... thanks for the video Stian!! - Glad you bought it serviced :D
You and me both! 😆
@@VintageWatchServices Absolutely :)
My Gruens are my favorite pieces, I have several, and they are all good looking and great running watches.
I like your channel very much. I seem to learn a lot. Some things I use in my other numerous hobbies.
I have noticed that vintage watches seem to be better/cleaner machined than newer ones.
The watch you are working on, I like a lot.
Yep, they are
Movements back then were always so nicely designed and can still look quite new.... Great to work on as well.
Hi Stian- enjoyed your video. Your encounter with the mainspring just shows how much energy are stored in those things. Greetings from South Africa.
i'll have to throw in with those who would prefer a new main spring, just following the "Be the best you can be" objective. However I can also see the counter argument that the higher amplitude could be too much for an older watch.
WuuHuuu Gunky gunk time, happy, happy, joy, joy!
Nice watch and great work on it.
Lovely watch and movement, thanks again for thi Stian
Hey Stian, a nice video thank you ! For me too Gruen is a very interesting brand producing very nice watches in the golden age era. Interesting to see that you are a modeller too. Happy Easter
Thanks, and happy Easter to you also!
Beautiful work as usual Stian!
Great restoration of a restoration!
I'm completely in love for this Gruen!!!!!!!!
Great video, my nepheu took the watchmaker practice at Candino, i'm proud of him, would be great if your son decides to learn this beautiful art.
That is very cool indeed!
Another great video, thank you for sharing!
I was not notified of new videos and sort of lost ya there brother. But I squared it away and we are back.
I have a soft spot for 50's tanks and although Longines in my go to this Gruen reminds me that I have one and need to put it back into rotation.
Still awaiting a 9L service my friend.
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So glad to see you bring in an older tank style watch, they're lovely to see and wear. Great job once again! Oh, and thanks for the babbling brook and birds sounds, made me laugh!
Lovely watch and after cleaning the bracelet… you can feed your plants with the “gunk” that you harvested !! Happy Easter to you all 😎👍🏻🍺
Thank you! You too, Alan 😁
Dear Stian, thank you so much for this gorgeous video. It is a real Easter 2023 treat, what with all the curves of/in the watch resembling eggs ... 👏👍👌❤!
The bracelet does look spectacular on this watch, but I have never felt comfortable with metal ones, elastic metal ones in particular since they tend to interfere painfully with your hair and skin. Leather and a metal clasp (folding if possible) has always served me best.
Thanks Yves ! It's a very cool little watch and bracelet, but the bracelet is for sure not for large wrists... Bonne fêtes de pâques :)
I have a modern Ebel with a curved case and it's very comfortable to wear (movement is flat Eta 2824). These old Gruen watches are beautiful.
Oh, what a beautiful watch and movement! Love to see you take good care of it! 😃❤️
In today's throw-away societies, I am impressed by anyone who can take something old and bring it back to life. You are one of these.
Another great video and a lovely watch.
Beautiful watch . I'm always so pleased to see a new post unexpectedly i put all else on hold generally so i can chill 'n enjoy the proceeds . Great but also thorough work & as ever entertaining and educational 👍.
Much appreciated!
Another great video. Thank you
Another informative and enjoyable video (except maybe the bracelet cleaning segment 🤮). I love the movement architecture of rectangular watches. Happy and safe holiday to you and the family, Stian.
I have this exact watch without the cross-hairs on the dial. Mine is on a Gemex gold cuff bracelet that looks stunning. It barely works anymore and loses an hour a day so I have to get it serviced but I keep putting it off.
Very nice!
Great video Stian, I'm happy to see your sense of humour as as strong as ever ;-)
On leather I've had very good results with a tip I got from Spencer Klein's CZcams - wash the leather thoroughly with regular dish soap and water, get all the dirt out and let it dry for several days. Then get out a tub of pure lanolin (100% pure, none of that "treats the leather" acidic stuff) and work it into the leather, it will displace any moisture left inside and treat the leather the way nature does it, with oil from that gland on the sheep's butt. Wipe off excess.
Thanks Alan, I'll try that 👍
great video again. Cant wait for the minute repeater upload
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Another great restoration. It would be wonderful if your son apprentices with you!
i do love it. classy looking
Lovely watch.
Have a great Easter Stian and family. Something a bit different there. The compost heap must be looking good after that one. As always a really enjoyable video. All the best. Mick🐣⏱
Thanks, you too!, Mick 😊👍
I am glad I am not the only clumsy one around anyway a great video😃
What a lovely movement.
This video has it all: tech info, history lecture, entertaining moments, and "the horror" (in the voice of Marlon Brando in "Apocalypse now").
Very nice watch btw, even though I prefer my watches in the shape of a circle.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Stian...Another entertaning and informitive video. I really enjoy your knowledge as to makers, movements etc. For someone like myself that dabbles in this vocation (For you, hobby for me) your videos are the best out there, in my opinion, for people doing these types of videos. Keep up the good work. One comment and one question if you will humor me. Your son's knee pain. Being 10 these could be simply growing pains. A term we all have heard but went through something very similar with my boy and the Dr.. Likened it to that. Sports and youth will produce growth and can be painful for them sometimes. Question-Why turn the movent a 1/4 after the 1st blast from the demagnitizer. Iquiring minds ya know.
Thanks again for what you do!!!!!
Thanks a lot for your comment, David, that's very considerate of you! As a parent we always worry about our kids 😊
I turn the movement 90 degrees to completely eliminate any magnetism. Magnetism works in a 90 degree angle to electric currents, and by turning the movement that effect is countered.
@@VintageWatchServices Both our kids complained about the knee pain. It's logical when you think about it - explosive growth in the joints. Amazing it doesn't hurt more. you just have to watch out for bony lumps forming beneath the knees on the tibia in adolescence from too much sport...:)
Unless the client wanted their watch to be 'as close to original' as possible' I'd always replace an old mainspring. I don't think the power the new one creates would really be able to cause damage down the road, but I could see leaving an old one (depending on age) could be a point of failure. And the mainspring really isn't something that most people think of as needing to be 'original' since it really doesn't change the watch in any visible way. But you do an excellent job of doing the work and explaining the work you are doing! Please note that I am an owner of watches, not a watchmaker. But I'd always say to go ahead and change the mainspring if the watch is old/used for a long time.
Hello Todd, a lot of people always change the mainspring, but for old watches it's not always easy to find the right one. If the mainspring inside the watch is of an old type made of carbon steel it always has to be changed, as those are prone to rust. Newer mainsprings made of stainless alloys can be reused as long as they are not deformed, and that generally is a little bit gentler on the movement. It doesn't make a big difference though
Hello Todd, a lot of people always change the mainspring, but for old watches it's not always easy to find the right one. If the mainspring inside the watch is of an old type made of carbon steel it always has to be changed, as those are prone to rust. Newer mainsprings made of stainless alloys can be reused as long as they are not deformed, and that generally is a little bit gentler on the movement. It doesn't make a big difference though
Nice job I collect Curvex watches
I imagine that the day this was filmed Stian was thinking "Yes, today I will impress the viewers with my mastery of the lady's watch service". It was then the angel and devil on his shoulder dissuaded Stian from doing the Omega 212. Stian, in his genius picked the Gruen 330, knowing the viewer would not be able to tell the difference and he would save himself the trouble of doing the ant sized lady's watch.
Edit: I am absolutely going to buy one of these watches now. It's just so nice and clean inside with great lines, and with a cool art deco dial.
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Amazing and enjoyable as always. 👌
I think my late mom's watch is a Gruen but it's tiny. My sibling inherited it.
Hah! Pretty much all my mainsprings come out that way these days lol. Lovely movement that. Thanks for uploading.
Very handsome watch Stian. Well done for braving the motherlode of gunk!!
Loved this watch. Beautiful movement! Nice work as always😊 i have now just bought myself a old helvetia watch from ebay, and will try to restore it for myself.. i have been bitten by the watchbug. Thank you stian! I learn so much from your videos😊😊
Artig å høre, Stian! Lykke til og husk at du aldri må bruke mye kraft
@@VintageWatchServices tusen takk for tipset! det skal jeg huske på :D
I’ve got my g’father’s Gruen Semi-Thin pocket watch. I think it’s ca 1920 or 1930. I can’t tell what the movement is because the number was mis-struck. It’ll run for a very short time. I looked into getting it serviced, but it was way more than the watch is worth. It’s in lovely condition as far as visually, so at least it’s nice to look at.
Re the mainspring, yes Stian if you say so.
(I'm still coming down from the slomo dropping of the bracelet into the fluid so I'll agree to anything at this point).
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That came out beautifully. I was half hoping it would show up for sale on your site - and half not, because my savings account can't take it. :D
Very nice. The two segments of "Gunky Gunk Time" were a little disconcerting but the gentle water flowing ultrasonic replacement made up for it. A very nice movement and watch overall. Part of me wants to see the watch returned to "like new from the factory" condition, and part of me wants it to have some patina and show its age. I'm not sure which I prefer, to be honest.
That bracelet was really grime time tv. I'm in the process of cleaning and selling the wristwatch collection of the deceased brother of a friend, and I had to deal with similar cases. Disgusting! From now on I clean my watches even more meticulously after wearing them. Apart from the gunk this was another pleasant video with a gorgeous watch. Thank You, Stian, and happy Easter!
Thanks Jochen! Very gross indeed, that bracelet... Happy Easter to you also!
Stian, a great Gruen watch to clean and oil! I would love to see you service the Hamilton 982M(Medallion) movement. Hamilton and Gruen were big competitors, and I always felt the 982M was the superior top American wristwatch movement. I would love to hear your opinions on that! Best, Stephen
Hello Stephen, I never worked on that one but know the 982 was used in watches directly competing with the Curvex. Very fine looking movement indeed!
I agree that preserving these pieces for the decades to come is more important than chasing after ultra precise timekeeping. If someone wants sub-second deviation per day, they can just buy a cheap digital watch. Perhaps a Casio if they want something relatively tasteful.
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That really cool that the dial face and movement is curved, I would've thought they would've been flat just bc it would be easier to manufacture. It's not really my style of watch but it's a really cool looking all the same! 👍👍
Yep, completely agree
Stian nice vid, actually I like the sound of the ultrasonic cleaner to listen to! 🤭
That is a beautifully engineered movement.
It is indeed, very nice!
Hey Stizn, what about putting a "Gunky Gunk" warning on the thumbnail next time?
I really appreciate the history lessons you give about the watches.
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As for your son's knee pain we often refer to growing pains with children here in the UK, so hopefully its nothing. Make sure he gets some exercise as kids these days will spend 25 hours a day lying on their beds looking at social media. On the watches I don't think I have ever believed in the item being serviced unless there is a certificate proving it. I have bought some clocks and always had to do a bit of work to get the clock running as I want.
The owner from Gruen was a friend from Hans Wilsdorf . 20 years ago i got a 14 k Curvex for 15 € on a flea market in Germany , one of my best findings .🤗🤗
Wow, that's indeed a find!
@@VintageWatchServices ....well, most Germans here don't know much about the Gruen Watch Company and the watches associated with it. These watches were not as famous as in the USA ;-) In our family, which comes from the Gruen family, there was not much talk about how valuable they were back then. My great-aunt, who repeatedly traveled to Cincinnati to visit the Gruen family from the 1920s to the 1950s, didn't say much about it. For example, my grandfather always wore a Gruen watch to work. Today my mother still claps her hands over her head in horror when she thinks about it ;-) He was a carpenter and the (expensive) clock suffered greatly as a result. Yes, the past was never really talked about much during this time and it was only later that we gradually learned what was really behind the history of Gruen watches. I think in this respect there are still some treasures to be found at German flea markets.
Honestly, cleaning the enormous amounts of schmutz from the cases and bracelets is one of the most satisfying parts of your videos, for me at least. Couldn't tell you why, but my Mother watches hours of pimple popping videos every day, so perhaps it's hereditary.
😂👍 I love cow hoof trimming videos!
GREAT VIDEO,,,THANKS
You remind me of Paul Harvey's rest of the story great job
Another great video. The gunk was definitely too much though!
I loved the strap cleaning because of your input about it. Your sons legs could be hurting. At 10 there is a lot of growth. And growing pains are a real thing. What happens if at 20 the career they choose isn’t of an interest to them. Can they change.
Stian the EBay seller forgot to add that the Watch was actually serviced on the wrist while working at the local Tuna canning factory. Only minor trouble in paradise with someone not allowed to prepare dinner for the next week or so. Keep well from New Zealand 🇳🇿
🤣👍 Thanks as always, Bruce! Happy Easter from Switzerland
With that curved movement, are the rotating wheels, etc., actually spinning on different horizontal planes?
A very beautiful classic look, and another great restoration, Stian!
Thanks! No, the wheels rotate in the same plane, but the bridges can be a bit thinner on one end when they're thicker on the other
Another example of master craftsmanship, no shortcuts, no smoke-and-mirrors, total high-fidelity transparency, biomass et al
Thanks so much 😊👍
Ngl the elmasonic sound is calming me a little
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An interesting piece as well as a history lesson, as usual!
Is it true that you hand models often wear padded oven mitts when relaxing to protect your assets?
Looking forward to your next video. 😊
Thanks Randy and I wouldn't know 😂
I just picked up a working Gruen 0712 for only$7!
I have a Gruen day/night jump from the late 1950’s/ early 60’s and it reads on the movement Swiss. But on the inside of the back cover it says FRANCE. But I don’t mess with it much at all because the hands have radium on them (old and brownish now) and I think the markers (which switch over a 6 pm till 6am) are radium also. But I don’t know that for sure. The FRANCE indication is very interesting.
That's interesting indeed. Many brands tried to reduce costs by using French movements in the 1950s, so that's probably it.
THEO GREAT JOB AND BEAUTIFUL...TELL ALL HELLO AND SEE YOU WHEN...GREAT VIDEO...
Very unusual and interesting watch, nicely restored. I don't mind the gunk removal. Question - since you "love" the sound so much, why don't you put the ultrasonic in the other room ⬅where the cleaning machine is (or maybe on your associate's bench 😈?
That's where it is 😉 But the sound is still slightly audible inside my watch room
Great video as always! I have a question about oiling. When you have these old fashioned figure 8-style cap jewels, is there a preference for oiling the hole jewel instead of the cap stone? I notice you did it this way, but am not sure if it makes a difference. Hobbyist here learning as much as I can from you each time. Thanks for the great content!
Thanks for watching! The cap stones in this watch were actually not flat, that's why I oiled the pivots directly. It might be better to simply oil from the other side.
Love your work and really enjoying the commentary. Just a quick question re your boys knee pain. Have you checked him out for osgood schlatters disease. It is very common in that age group
Thanks for watching and for your tip! Yes, we checked out osgood schlatters and it was related to it 👍
Looks like they sprayed WD-40 on the keyless works!!! Thank goodness I wasn't eating when you cleaned the bracelet. I wish I could visit your country from what I've seen it looks so beautiful there!!!
🤔 Maybe that's what it is?
@@VintageWatchServices I really don't know sir I was just guessing because I've seen people spray that stuff on everything!!
Thank you Stian for the video. Love the Gruen curvex. Have two of them myself. To bad they are a smaller watch by todays standards. Might look good on my daughters wrist though. Believe Gruen was in Cincinnati Oh.
Very cool! Yes, they're a bit small for today's standards but still very nice watches.
Outatanding video:)
Hello! Thank you for a very educational video. I also am about to clean and disassemble a 370 Gruen for the first time. I have a question. What size Bergeon mainspring winder did you use for the 370 barrel?
Hello Marjorie, thanks and cool to hear! I honestly do not remember, but if you have a set of mainspring winders, try them inside the barrel drum until you find the one that just fits. It's probably 3, 4 or 5
Another great vid. What are you holding back from cleaning or am I misviewing the vid? I clean everything including screws in my workflow.
I clean the small springs in a small jar, not in the cleaning machine, and if the screws are not dirty I don't clean them in the machine either.
I really like the Curvex because of it's unique style and the face is great. I bet the arm cheese on the watch's bracelet must have really dirtied the fixodent fluid. Stian, stick with the sound of the ultrasonic because the sound you used the second time made me pause the video to go urinate. Lol I think I asked you in your last video how many languages do you speak. Here are my guesses: Norwegian, Swiss German, English and maybe some French. And I agree with you, I've been married almost 51 years and my wife scares me more than anything even health problems I may have. Cheers from this old retired coot living the dream in Tennessee.
😂 Thanks for commenting, Robert! I just felt the ultrasonic sound would be too much twice in one video :) And yes, I had to change the fluid twice.
I speak Norwegian, English, Dutch and some German and French, and I suppose I could add Swedish and Danish to the list, plus of course the language of love 😉
@@VintageWatchServices Thank you for responding Stian. I really find your videos so entertaining and informative and I like your humor and craftsmanship. Your channel is one of my favorites and I find them very relaxing.
@@robertwalker9625 Thanks Robert, that's very nice to hear :)
Man, wear some gloves and a haz mat suit! Awesome job on a very cool watch!