EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBOpen Face Gruen Pocket Watch As Is with Fleur-De-Lis Watch Holder Pin
About Seller
522 South Pineapple Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
United States
Sarasota Estate Auction specializes in a wide variety of furniture, antiques, fine art, lighting, sculptures, and collectibles. Andrew Ford, owner and operator of the company, has a passion for finding the best pieces of art and antiques and sharing those finds with the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
| $100 | $25 |
| $250 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,500 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $500 |
| $20,000 | $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $2,500 |
| $100,000 | $5,000 |
| $250,000 | $10,000 |
About Auction
LiveJan 18, 2025
Over 800 lots will be offered in day 1 of our 2 day weekend. There are multiple lots of fine art from mixed medias and abstracts to landscapes and lithographs. We have a Todd Warner Rhino Sculpture, a collection of art glass sculptures, modern furniture, Lalique, Kosta Boda, Parkwest Gallery artworks, and Coca-Cola collectibles. Sarasota Estate Auction sarasotaestateauction@gmail.com
View Full Catalog (958)
- Lot Description
Open Face Gruen Pocket Watch As Is with Fleur-De-Lis Watch Holder Pin.
Size: 1 3/4 x 3 3/4 in.
#8676 .
Dietrich Gruen was born in Germany in 1847. When he was 15 his family sent him to become a watchmaker’s apprentice, and after five years he traveled to Switzerland to work for several different companies. In 1870 he immigrated to the United States, where he began experimenting with pocket watches, eventually patenting a safety pinion that prevented damage to the watch movement if the mainspring broke. He took his patent to W. J. Savage, the son of a prominent watchmaker in Columbus, Ohio, and together they established the Columbus Watch Manufacturing Company in 1876. Initially they imported and finished watch movements from Madretsch, a suburb of Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, incorporating the safety pinion, and by 1882 they had become so popular that they began manufacturing their own pieces. During the Panic of 1893 the shareholders forced Gruen out of his own company, which was reincorporated as the New Columbus Watch Company and continued to function until 1903. Gruen immediately founded a new firm, D. Gruen & Son, by partnering with his son Frederick, and focused on crafting designs that were then manufactured for them by a German watchmaker. These new designs proved even more popular, and the company moved to a larger facility in Cincinnati in 1898, changing the name once more as Dietrich’s other son George became an additional partner. In 1900 the corporate name became D. Gruen, Sons & Co, with a Swiss movement manufacturer becoming a majority shareholder, and in 1903 a subsidiary was formed in Biel/Bienne called “The Gruen Watch Manufacturing Company.” The first Gruen wristwatches were introduced in 1908 and proved very popular with female buyers. The 1910s were very difficult for the company, as Dietrich died abruptly on the steamship SS Berlin during a business trip to Italy, leaving Frederick in charge, and World War I led to significant materials shortages and a lessened demand for ornate personal timepieces. The 1920s saw them move to a larger factory called Time Hill and expand significantly, as military service had made wearing wristwatches fashionable among men, and by the end of the 1920s Gruen’s sales had reached over five million dollars, making them the largest watch company in the United States. The company attempted to weather the Depression by designing new watches with sleeker, simple specifications, and their Curvex line, where the rectangular piece curved to wrap around the wearer’s wrist, soon became one of the most popular models in the country. During World War II the Swiss factory continued to make some watches, but the Time Hill factory instead shifted exclusively to manufacturing for the military, crafting gauges and instruments for aircraft, ships, and submarines. The company also made precision gauges used for delicate surgical instruments and for radios and other electronic equipment. After the War many American watch companies began to move manufacturing entirely to Switzerland, and in 1953 the Gruen family sold their interest in the firm, which was broken up and sold by the remaining shareholders over the next five years.
- Shipping Info
-
SHIPPING INFORMATION·
Sarasota Estate Auction IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING! BUYER MUST ARRANGE SHIPPING. All shipping will be handled by the winning bidder. Sarasota Estate Auction recommends obtaining shipping quotes before bidding on any items in our auctions. To obtain a quote, please email info@premiershipment.com. Be sure to include the lot you are interested in and address you would like the quote for. Refunds are not offered under any circumstances base on shipping issues, this is up to the buyer to arrange this beforehand.
BIDDER MUST ARRANGE THEIR OWN SHIPPING. Although SEA will NOT arrange shipping for you, we do recommend our preferred shipper Premier Shipping & Crating at info@premiershipment.com You MUST email them, please DO NOT CALLl. If you'd like to compare shipping quotes or need more options, feel free to contact any local Sarasota shippers. You can email any one of the shippers below as well. Be sure to include the lot(s) you won and address you would like it shipped to. Brennan with The UPS Store #0089 - 941-413-5998 - Store0089@theupsstore.com AK with The UPS Store #2689 - 941-954-4575 - Store2689@theupsstore.com Steve with The UPS Store #4074 - 941-358-7022 - Store4074@theupsstore.com Everett with PakMail - 941-751-2070 - paktara266@gmail.com
-
- Payment & Auction Policies
-
Available payment options
We accept all major credit cards, wire transfers, money orders, checks and PayPal. Please give us a call at (941) 359-8700 or email us at SarasotaEstateAuction@gmail.com to take care of your payments.
-
-
- Buyer's Premium
- Size
1 3/4 x 3 3/4 in.
