Gruen Curvex 'Count'

Overall Condition: Very good condition overall. Case shows wear consistent with age and use. Dial and matching handset show even patination.

One of the most famous curved wristwatch is without a doubt the Gruen Curvex, which was introduced in 1935 and almost single-handedly saw Gruen through the Great Depression.

Thanks to strategic partnerships with Swiss companies like Rolex and movement manufacturer Aegler, Gruen had enjoyed success with its doctor’s watch, the Techni-Quadron (which Rolex marketed as the Prince in Europe and the British Empire). But the brand also earned a reputation for innovation in aesthetics. Throughout the 1920s, Gruen experimented with different movement and watch designs, including the Quadron, which housed a tonneau-shaped movement in a rectangular case.

But after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the U.S. watch industry took a massive hit. Sales of watches went down from five million to only 800,000 a year. Gruen, which was once ranked in the top tier of the watch industry, found itself selling watches at lower price points.

Despite the economic setbacks and political changeovers, the brand was poised for a comeback—which came in the form of this watch, the Curvex.

Gruen had actually applied for a patent for a curved movement in 1929, through its Bienne-based agent, Emile Frey. It was granted to Frey in 1932, but assigned to Gruen. Accordingly, the movement designers at the Precision Factory set to work designing what would become a revolutionary watch movement: the Calibre 311.

The Curvex that we offer here features the Calibre 370. The 36 hr power reserve movement has a unique scalloping to its profile that matches the case.

This particular Curvex, the ‘Count’, dates to circa 1940s. Made from 10K filled gold case, the case has aged to a lovely tone. At its time, this watch was the peak of fashion and trend, but today, it constitutes a wonderful heritage callback to a bygone era.

This beautiful piece features a stunning 'Breguet' dial and handset, and is in exceptional condition for its age. The piece features scalloping on the vertical brancards that carries through the full design visually partitioning the piece into three main segments. There's no other watch that looks like this.

Own a piece of horological history with this Gruen!