I picked up this Gruen autowind that the seller said was solid gold. It's marked on the case back

GRUEN
14K
GOLD

With a J and an arrow.



When I took the movement out there were no markings inside the case.



I found this identical watch on ebay and it has all the correct marking inside the case.





Is mine solid gold or not? I need some advice on this because if it was misrepresented I will have to contact the seller to get a refund.

 

Yes, 14K, .585% gold. Case maker's name escapes me right now, will edit later.

McK

It is Jonell.

https://www.trademarkia.com/company-jonell-watch-case-inc-660071-page-1-2

 

Your gold mark is on the outside, yes?

I suppose if I were you I'd be wondering why someone polished the inside of the case? Prolly to remove sloppy jeweler markings?


Also - I can say with utter certainty that nobody has ever made a counterfeit Gruen. Lol


Can we see the rest of the watch??

 

Jonell

 

Thank you for the confirmation and the link to the maker McKinley I can now say Phew! I was worried.

Correct citizenrich the gold marking is on the outside. The watch was a 25 year presentation watch dated 1947 with an engraving so I wonder if that explains the lack of inner case markings. Never a fake Gruen? I guess this is a repeat of the Pulsations Bulova I thought was redialed. I'm seeing fakes everywhere

Thanks for the makers name X350 XJR

Here's a few more pics. The top right lug is bent but I think that can be corrected. I bought it with a plan to resell it on ebay but may hold onto it for a little while and wear it.

 

Looking online I found this WUS thread from nine years ago. Someone posted a friend's grandfather's Gruen identical to this one and it was also an engraved presentation watch from 1961 and lo and behold no inner case markings either. The poster and watch are from Canada too and I noticed the same upper right lug is slightly bent on their watch.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f11/vintage-gruen-autowind-119965.html

 

Is the 1947 presentation date a little too early for the 710RSS movement? The earliest date I can find for these movements is 1960.

 

Heard at the Jonell factory in early 1947

Employee: "Boss, we have another case with a bent upper right lug."

Supervisor to employee: "Jesus, not again. Well......ship it to Canada.....they're so nice, they will never complain." LOL

McK

 

must say that dial is in such a good condition...

 

I used to be a Gruen attic and that dial looks pretty late 50s to mid 60s by the style of the 12-3-and 9 markers and the font of Gruen Precision. As stated I guarantee that movement is probably not from 1947. I bet 1947 case with a early 60s movement and dial shoved in.

 

That's what I was thinking too AveConscientia. Looking online I have found early dials with similar Gruen fonts but in the 40s and early 50s Gruen was still using bumper automatics of which I own a few and I don't think were using bidirectional rotors:

http://wafeesoid.blogspot.ca/2011/09/gruen-bumper.html

And this is a very early Gruen with the same font:

Another good point gatorcpa and something I considered until I looked online and found that McKinnon Industries had been renamed General Motors of Canada Limited, St. Catharine's in 1969:

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=3322

Would the newly renamed company still give a watch with the old company name? It's possible.

Edited to add: I posted about this watch in the NAWCC forum and Jeff Hess also made the same observation as gatorcpa. Coupled with Jonell making cases in the 50s and 60s and AveConscientia reply about the dial, the watch being presented in 1972 after 25 years of service makes more sense than the watch being from 1947.

 

That's right, we never complain...and we never forget

 

I think the mystery on the dating of this watch is solved.

I really should have considered the 1947 being a start date because recently I sold an Omega Geneve Dofasco award watch that was purchased in 1973--with a 1947 presentation inscription. A watch that I actually asked about in the vintage Omega forum.