1941
GRUEN Vintage Techni - Quadron / Rolex Prince Watch, 14K Gold-Filled
- Doctor's Watch
Very Fine & Collectible Timepiece - Like
a Rolex Prince - 1 Year Warranty
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Made in the same factory as the Rolex Prince.
Without
question the most iconic Art Deco Rolex is the Prince, universally celebrated
for its unsurpassed quality and elegant style. Appropriately named, it was the
perfect accompaniment for prominent doctor's, business financiers, or any man
with discriminating personal taste in timepieces.
Made not
only in the same factory as the Rolex Prince, but on the very
same production lines was a virtually identical wristwatch, the
Gruen Techni-Quadron. Our photos show a comparison to the case
and movement of a Prince.
For
a number of years after the company's founding, Rolex had no manufacturing capability
of its own so the company received its movements from Aegler, a superb Swiss watch
manufacturer partially owned by Gruen, Rolex, and the Aegler family.
Because of
the large number of Aegler shares held by Rolex and the Gruen brothers, the full
name of the manufacturer for a time was actually Aegler, Societe Anonyme, Fabrique
des Montres Rolex and Gruen Guild A, translated "Aegler, Limited Company,
Manufacturer of Watches for Rolex and Gruen Guild A". The Aegler family used their
workshop to produce a large number of movements for Rolex, most notably for the
Prince series, as well as for this special wristwatch sold by Gruen.
"Why
was the identical watch sold as both a Rolex and a Gruen?" The answer is quite
simple: when the watch hit the market in 1928, Rolex was still a London-based
company selling almost exclusively in the British Empire and Europe. They had
no distribution facilities in the United States, then as now, one of the largest
markets in the world.
Aegler had invented the watch and put time and money into
it. They wanted to recoup their investment from as large a market as possible,
and so Gruen was given the 'franchise' for the United States. These were the only
markets anywhere in the world worth selling an expensive watch to." - Explanation
courtesy of Hess & Dowling, The Best of Time - Rolex Wristwatches, an Unauthorized
History.
The
Gruen Techni-Quadron featured in today's offering is one of these
fine wristwatches made during the onset of World War II. Here
are a few of its features:
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Possessing a long, stylish case and an ultra-high quality
mechanism, these wristwatches set a standard of the day for
refinement and accuracy, performing very well in European chronometer
tests
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Powered by the legendary caliber 877 mechanism, manufactured
by the Aegler family in Biel, Switzerland, used in these Techni-Quadron
and Rolex's Prince line of watches
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Extremely high quality movement design featuring an oversized winding
barrel and balance wheel. By placing this two mechanisms at opposite ends of the
movement the watch achieves incredible levels of accuracy and carries a longer
power reserve, enabling it to run longer and more accurately on each wind
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Curved, long and elegant case make it appropriate for both casual
and dress wear
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Larger, peripheral seconds dial ensures the hour
and minute hands never obstruct the view of the seconds, perfect for taking a
patient's pulse and for technical uses
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Striking late Art Deco style dial
All of its
parts down to all of its hands and winding crown are original Gruen
Techni-Quadron parts, though we tend to associate this dial
and hand motif with the 877/290 model rather than this 877/8 case
reference suggesting that perhaps a second Techni-Quadron was needed at
some point for repairs.
Its thickly
plated 14K gold filled case is excellent condition hardly any of the gold wearthrough that is common with these.
Its iconic
duo-dial face, which has a wonderful late Art Deco style is in
excellent condition with fairly light aging. Please inquire if you
would like it restored.
One
of our Master Watchmakers, who used to be the watchmaker for an
authorized Rolex dealer and was given special training by Rolex
at their Beverly Hills Service Center to be an authorized Rolex
watchmaker, has fully serviced the watch which consists of fully
disassembling the movement, carefully inspecting each part, replacing
any overly worn components with genuine correct parts, installing
a new mainspring, reassembling and lubricating the movement, and
extensive timing testing and regulation (a $695 value).
It
is running very strong and true, keeping time on par with a new
Rolex in our testing recording position.
For the
finishing touch, we have equipped it with a brand new Italian calfskin
strap and aftermarket Rolex buckle making it ready for immediate
enjoyment.
Included
with the purchase is a one-year C.O.T. international warranty
on the movement and its function, a full-page custom printed Connoisseur
of Time Certificate of Authenticity, and a new timing certificate.
This an
opportunity to own an exciting historical timepiece whose quality
is on par with coveted Rolex Prince watches.
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Timepiece's
Finer Points:
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Dial:
Light silver, late Art Deco style, gold applique Breguet numerals,
larger peripheral seconds dial, signed Gruen,
excellent condition with fairly lightly
aging
Please inquire if you would like
a fresh restoration
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Crystal:
Acrylic, very good condition with wear visible under scrutiny
Please inquire if you would like a new crystal installed.
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Case: Long
and elegant, decorated sides, 14K gold-plated, curved, downward turned lugs, signed
Gruen made by Wadsworth for the company, 22mm
wide (excluding crown), 41mm long lug tip-to-tip
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Band:
Italian calfskin, fully stitched, padded, brand new and unworn with aftermarket gold-plated Rolex buckle
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Movement: Original
Gruen made by Aegler, Cal. 877, very high quality, 7''' 1/2, 15
jewels, lateral lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance, Breguet
balance-spring
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Function:
Hours,
Minutes, Large Subsidiary Seconds
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| Crown:
Original,
correctly unsigned |
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Detailed
Appraisal:
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Manufacturer:
Gruen/Aegler
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Country of origin: Switzerland,
made for the U.S. market
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Serial no.: 1,853,328
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Year sold: Gifted on Christmas Day, 1941
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Model: Techni-Quadron,
ref. 877/8
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Functions: Hours,
Minutes, Large Subsidiary Seconds
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Designed
for: Men
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Case material: 14K gold-filled
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Case condition: Excellent condition; hardly any of the gold wearthrough that is common with these
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Dial: Eggshell silver, late Art Deco style, gold applique Breguet numerals,
larger peripheral seconds dial, signed Gruen,
original - excellent condition with only fairly light aging
Please inquire if you would like
it restored
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Dimensions: 22mm
wide (excluding crown), 41mm long lug tip-to-tip
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Hands: Original,
"Breguet moons"
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Movement type: Original
Gruen made by Aegler, Cal. 877, very high quality, 7'''
1/2, 15 jewels, lateral lever escapement, cut bimetallic
balance, Breguet balance-spring
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Movement markings: Gruen
Guild A, Fifteen Jewels, Switzerland
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Jewels: 15 rubies
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Band: Italian calfskin, fully stitched, padded, brand new and unworn with aftermarket gold-plated Rolex buckle
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Crystal: Acrylic, very good condition with wear visible under scrutiny
Please inquire if you would like a new crystal installed.
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Serviced: One
of our Master Watchmakers, who used to be the watchmaker for an
authorized Rolex dealer and was given special training by Rolex
at their Beverly Hills Service Center to be an authorized Rolex
watchmaker, has fully serviced the watch which consists of fully
disassembling the movement, carefully inspecting each part, replacing
any overly worn components with genuine correct parts, installing
a new mainspring, reassembling and lubricating the movement, and
extensive timing testing and regulation (a $695 value).
-
Timing: Timed to precision
on a state-of-the-art computerized system. It
is running very strong and true, keeping time on par with
a new Rolex in our testing recording position.
- Warranty: 1-year international
warranty. Please message us for details.
Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its
lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an
extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each
have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts.
As mentioned, one used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex
dealership and was given special training by Rolex at their Beverly
Hills Service Center.
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Box/Papers:
BOX - Connoisseur of Time watch presentation box; PAPERS
- Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity; New timing
certificate
100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are in any way unsatisfied
with the watch we will fully refund the purchase price.
Simply notify us and send it back anytime within 30 days
after it has been received. Our goal is to exceed your expectations
throughout the buying experience. View our feedback and
shop with confidence.
Connoisseur
of Time, Inc.
1000 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Suite 6-343
Suwanee, GA 30024
U.S.A.
Phone: eBay does not allow our contact information to be
displayed. Please Google our name and visit our website
if you would like to contact us by phone. It is listed toward
the bottom of our homepage and prominently on each watch's
listing page.
Hours
of Operation:
Monday
- Friday
10am - 4pm EST
Closed
Saturdays & Sundays.
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| Connoisseur of
Time Recently In the News: |
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Connoisseur of Time Owners
Pay Off $1.8 Million of Medical Debt for 1000 Families
- WSB-TV, Channel 2 ABC Atlanta
Click here for the story
Paul Hoyt, Owner of Connoisseur of Time, Named to WatchPro's
Hot 100 List of the Top 100 Influencers of the U.S. Watch Industry
Click here for the story
eBay's National Watch Day Highlights Timeless, Historical Watches
from Connoisseur of Time
Click here for the story
Connoisseur of Time Sells
Special Timepiece to the Omega Museum
Click here for the story
Vintage
Watch Company Helps Neuhaus Museum Fill New Permanent Exhibit
Click here for the story
Steve Lundin
with IW Magazine asked Paul to collaborate on his article about
rectangular watches,"Hip
Squares."
Melissa Pearce with Australia's Sydney Morning Herald asked
Paul to collaborate on her article about trends in mens antiques:
"Mantiques:
The New Boys' Toys".
Hodinkee did a
feature piece on this vintage 14K Omega chronograph of ours.
Jeff Stein of OntheDash featured one of our watches in his article
“Project 99: The History of the Chronomatic” written
for the March issue of International Watch magazine.
TIME+TIDE, Australia's leading online watch media group, asked
Paul to collaborate on an article on vintage men’s watches
for women: “11 Vintage Watches for under $2000 That Look
Superb on Women”.
Leaders Magazine featured one of our watches in their article
"Defining Luxury: Ensuring Authenticity" (Volume 33,
Number 4).
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| Contact us |
|
Connoisseur of Time, Inc.
1000 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Suite 6-343
Suwanee, GA 30024
U.S.A.
Phone: eBay does not allow our contact
information to be displayed. Please Google our name and visit
our website if you would like to contact us by phone. It is
listed toward the bottom of our homepage and prominently on
each watch's listing page.
Hours of
Operation:
Monday
- Friday
10am - 4pm EST
Closed Saturdays & Sundays.
Our
Selling & Shipping Information:
- 100% satisfaction guarantee for all of our watches. If
you are in any way unsatisfied with it, you are welcome
to return it in the condition it was sold anytime within
30 days for a full refund of the purchase price. Our goal
is to exceed your expectations throughout the buying experience.
We hope you love it!
- The water
resistance of vintage watches can no longer be guaranteed
and is not covered under the watch's warranty. We don't
recommend getting a vintage watch wet - and really don't
recommend showering or diving with it - even one that
was originally designed to be waterproof.
- We have
extensive international shipping experience. In the last
12 years we have safely shipped thousands of high value
watches around the world (to over 70 countries!).
- All items are packaged very carefully and mailed in large
reinforced shipping boxes appropriate for high value items
so you don't need to worry about your watch arriving safely.
Wait until you see how big the box is that your watch
is coming in!
(Please do remember though that while we do our very best
and have careful procedures and quality control inspections
- we will again fully re-test the proper functioning of
your watch after you pay, right before we send it to you
- from time to time
some courier workers don't handle packages the way we
think that they would want their own packages to be handled.
Watches are ultra-precision instruments, and the timekeeping
of most is governed by a small spring that is only about
1/8 the thickness of a human hair.
The vast majority of our watches arrive safely and problem
free. However at times vintage watches
and their hairsprings can be sensitive to rough courier
handling or just having a difficult trip to you.
But even on a bad day there's still good news... We offer
a full one-year warranty on virtually every watch we sell
(unless occasionally specifically stated otherwise), so
if anything happens to it in transit or goes wrong anytime
in the first year, we will gladly repair it for you at
no charge. Yes, even the older vintage watches. So sit
back, relax, and dream about the first place where you're
going to wear your new watch!
- Our official
warranty in many ways mirrors those of a number of the
watch manufacturers and covers the proper timekeeping
of the movement. It does not cover things like abuse,
being dropped, crystals, bracelets, crowns, case parts
etc. or water resistance. While we are the sole determinants
of what qualifies for warranty work.... even if you have
a problem that you don't think will qualify for coverage,
tell us about it anyway. We are here to serve and just
might be able to help you.
- Winning bidders must fully pay within 48 hours of the end
of the auction. After 48 hours the watch will be relisted.
- To be fair to all bidders, we make it our practice not
to end an auction early.
- Because of the high rate of lost items and number of fraudulent
payments, we do not sell or ship to Indonesia or Africa.
_______________________________________________________
Payment
information - we accept:
- Paypal
- Visa, American Express, Mastercard, and
Discover via eBay checkout
- Check (We have to hold the watch until
the check clears.)
If eBay doesn't calculate
your shipping and other shipping exceptions:
Domestic
shipping is normally by FedEx Ground or USPS Express Mail. All
shipments are fully insured. An estimate can be obtained by
using eBay's shipping calculator found in this listing.
International
shipments will sent via U.S. International Express Mail or FedEx
fully insured. An estimate can be obtained by using eBay's shipping
calculator found in this listing. A $5 (USD) handling fee applies
to all international orders. We will e-mail the winning bidder
at the end of the auction with the exact shipping cost.
The shipping cost to most countries
not covered by eBay's shipping calculator is $68.90 plus insurance.
Insurance charges are $1.55 for every $100 of coverage needed.
This includes the following countries:
The UK, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland,
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong,
and all other countries for which eBay's shipping calculator
does not generate a quote.
The insurance fee for certain “high-risk” countries
not in the above list is a flat rate of $50.
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