Bruce's Vintage Watches
Fine timepieces at reasonable prices from a name you trust.
$250.00
White gold filled case measures 38x22mm. Style 157/8 dates to 1925, the year Gruen introduced the Quadron. Excellent condition case with no personalized engraving, and pierced lugs are not all stretched out. Original luminous dial with some toning as seen. Replacement crown. Replacement acrylic crystal. 15 jewel Grade 157 movement sets and winds properly, keeps time to within 2 min/day at time of listing, but not known when the movement was last cleaned. New 14mm brown leather strap.
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$795.00
14kt solid white gold case, style OS67, 37x22mm, back engraved "Presented to Mrs. Elizabeth C. Chapman by Teachers of PL12R Jan. 31, 1930." Excellent case with very little wear. Excellent original metal dial with light toning. 15 Jewel caliber 157 movement winds and sets properly. Watch runs to within 2 min/day or better, but not known when last serviced. 14mm wide black leather strap. Closest I can date this is year 1927 based on the "O" in the case style number. This predates the more familiar "XXX/XXX" case style found on later Quadrons. Interesting Quadron because it is a man's watch, but was presented to a woman, unusual for its time.
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$225.00
White gold-filled case, 24mm x 32mm to lug tips, 18mm lug width, black leather strap, toned silvered dial with radium numerals, 17J movement winds and sets correctly, serviced 2/2020 with a clean oil and adjust, and runs to within 2 min/day or better. Black leather band. This is a watch for a smaller wrist. Was $250; now reduced to $225.
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Gruen Quadron inscribed 157/8 on inside back. Green gold filled case. Best guess is Model 82 variant: Crystal is “sandwiched” between bezel and bezel insert underneath. A later Quadon no doubt, following the more streamline look versus Art Deco. 22mm x 37mm to lug tips, 16mm lug width, green gold-filled case with filigree border, inner sandwiched crystal with mounted bracket, black leather strap, silvered dial with black painted numerals, 15J caliber 157 Quadron movement. Movement winds and set properly. Keeps time to within 2 min/day, but not known when last serviced.
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$250.00
Gruen Quadron, Model 44 variant. 22mm x 36mm to lug tips, 16mm lug width, white gold-filled case with filigree bezel and sides, black leather strap, refinished silvered dial with applied gold numerals, 17J, Curious movement. The Caliber 117 is typically a 15-jewel movement, but this 117 is clearly stamped 17 jewels and signed “Precision” on the dial. Winds and sets properly, keeps time to within 2 min day but not known when last serviced.
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$250.00
Bulova Westover, manual wind, 24mm x 33mm to lug tips, 18mm lug width, gold-filled snap back case with graduated fluting along case edge, matching gold-filled expandable bracelet, silvered dial with applied gold numerals, 17J, Winds and sets perfectly, keeps time to within 2 min/day but not known when last serviced. I believe that's the original. band, too. When it was advertised in 1953, it was one of Bulova’s more expensive gold filled watches, priced at $71.50. Was $295; now reduced to $250.
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$225.00
Eterna, manual wind, gold-filled snap back case, 43mm long lug to lug, by 20mm wide, engraved "John Romadka" on the reverse. black leather strap, silvered dial with applied gold numerals, 17J. Cleaned, oiled and adjust Feb. 2020. Winds and sets properly, keeps time to within 2 min/day. An unusual piece; you don't normally see Eterna dress models.Was $250; now reduced to $225.
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Girard Perregaux, manual wind, 23mm x 35mm to lug tips, 17mm lug width, stainless steel case with back secured by screwbar on either end. Black leather strap, silvered dial with radium painted numerals. Just cleaned, oiled and adjusted and runs fine.Rare experimental case that I’ve seen with other makers, but not GP. Cleaned, oil and adjust 2/2020 and keeps time to within 2 min/day. Was $295; now reduced to $250.
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$295.00
Tissot square bumper automatic. Yellow gold filled case. 31mm x 43mm to lug tips, 19mm lug width, gold-filled snap back case, black leather strap, silvered dial with applied gold indices, 17J. Large size, unusual to see a square automatic from Tissot; most are rounds. Great quality brand, underappreciated. Winds and sets perfectly, runs to within 2 min/day but not known when last serviced.
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Mido, 21mm x 35mm to lug tips, 18mm lug width, rose gold case, gray leather strap, copper colored dial with black painted markers, a few scratches, but still an original dial, rectangle dress watch 14kt pink gold. Hard to find a Mido dress watch, let alone one in 14kt solid gold. Movement sets and winds perfectly, keeps time to within 2 min/day but not known when last serviced. Rare to find a dress Mido; most are round sport-type watches.
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$850.00
Hamilton Contour, driver's watch with flexing lugs. Yellow gold filled case measures 39mm long lug to lug, by 27mm wide. Excellent case. 17J Caliber 980 movement. Sets and winds perfectly, keeps time to within 2 min/day but not known when last serviced. Made for only a couple of years, then recalled by Hamilton, perhaps the only watch to have been recalled. I'm guessing the lugs were too fragile and prone to breaking. 18mm brown leather band.
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Tavannes, 14kt solid gold case with hidden wire lugs measures 31mm x 40mm to lug tips, 16mm lug width, white enamel dial with black numerals and a red 12. There is a hairline fracture on the edge of the dial between 11 and 12 o'clock, very minor, mentioned only for accuracy. Gross weight of assembled 14K gold watch 20.1 dwt (31.4 g). Beautiful specimen of an early Swiss gent’s wristwatch, probably made in the early 1910s before U.S. companies made them. Gorgeous dial and Breguet hands. This watch is a survivor; very unusual to find a solid gold watch this old (1920s) that hasn't been scrapped for its metal value.
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Hamilton Merritt, manual wind, 27mm x 39mm to lug tips, 19mm lug width, original white gold-filled snap back case, black suede leather strap, original silvered dial with black painted numerals, 17J cal 987-F, s#4339338, winds and sets perfectly,, just serviced by my watchmaker. Includes the original display box. Made for only two years (1937-1938), this model was never shown as available in white gold-filled in the '37 or '38 catalogs, and no production records can be found for them. Production records do show that 7,486 units were made in yellow gold-filled, and it is speculated that approximately 700 were made in white gold-filled. Original dial slightly discolored from age. Good good glass crystal.
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$395.00
Gruen Tank, 14kt solid gold case measures 24mm x 32mm to lug tips, 18mm lug width. Engraved monogram on caseback reads "RAE," brown leather strap, refinished silvered dial with applied yellow gold numerals, 17J, s#627177, triple signed. Gross weight of case without movement, crystal or strap 5.1 dwt (8.0 g). Includes period brown presentation box.Winds and sets perfectly. Runs to within 2 min/day but not known when last serviced.
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$250.00
Gruen tonneau, 27mm x 37mm to lug tips, 15mm lug width, white gold-filled case with filigree details on bezel. Inside back enscribed 315-88. The "88" dates this to 1930 year of production. 15J Caliber 315 movement, black lizard strap, silvered dial with luminous painted numerals.
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June 21, 2020
The vintage watch business (at least mine) continues to be very slow since my last update of May 28. I have sold only a couple watch during this time. The good news is that I am very close to completing two more books in my "Collectors Guide" series, one on Waltham and the other on Longines. I'll keep you posted on this.
Also, I completed another blog entry, 180 degrees different than my last posting on the early Invicta. This one is an Elgin new old stock calendar model from the 1970s. It's so gosh-darn ugly that it's cute. Read out it here if you're interested.
I continue to stay well, and hope that you are doing the same.
Bruce
More...
The Golden Age of the Swiss Wristwatch. 360 pages of gorgeous ads not seen in 60 years!
Order the book now!
Elgin Wristwatches: A Collector's Guide. First reference devoted exclusively to Elgin, with nearly 900 models from 1913 to 1962 identified.
Order the book now!