The Gruen family leaves the business in 1953 and the company loses direction, faces scandals and financial problems. Gruen went bankrupt in 1976, with all the company records already destroyed. Bad news for watch collecting community. The lists of serial numbers, dates of manufacture and production quantities are forever gone. Gruen Airflight birth. VTG GRUEN Veri-Thin Precision Pocket Watch - RARE - 1943 - Includes Box, Receipt. C $262.12 +C $15.19 shipping. Make Offer - VTG GRUEN Veri-Thin Precision Pocket Watch - RARE - 1943 - Includes Box, Receipt. Gruen Very Thin Open Face Pocket Watch 14k white Gold. C $805.18 +C $8.05 shipping. Info, specs, and value American antique pocket watches, with serial number lookups for manufacturers such as Elgin, Illinois, Waltham, and Hamilton.
Gruen Veri-Thin watches are a type of pocket watch that were produced in the early-twentieth century by the Gruen Watch Company.
History & Description
Established in 1894, the Gruen Watch Company was founded by Dietrich Gruen, a German emigrant, and by the 1920s the company was one of the most expensive and significant watch manufacturers in the United States.
In 1904 Gruen released the VeriThin model of pocket watch. By rearranging pieces of the watch movement, Gruen was able to produce a watch that was a mere 7mm thick. These pocket watches were a third thinner than their competition and still managed to meet the most exacting accuracy time tests of this period.
Guide for collectors
The VeriThin pocket watches were extremely popular and quickly became Gruen’s signature model. At the time, these pocket models would have cost $50, which in today’s prices would be roughly $1250.
Today, vintage Gruen VeriThin pocket watches are generally sold at auction between $50 and $100. However in the past, examples have exceeded $300.
There are few variations in the design and attributes of vintage Gruen VeriThin pocket watches and so the main factor for determining an item’s price is its condition. Any noticeable damage to an item’s back or dial can significantly reduce its value at auction.
Vintage Gruen Pocket Watch
While restoring vintage Gruen VeriThin pocket watches is recommended, collectors or existing owners are urged to go through respected professional restorers to ensure that as much of the item’s original features are retained. Furthermore, any damage to the item’s movement can drastically decrease its re-sale value.
Notable auction sales
On December 31st 2005 at Jeremiah’s International Trading Company in St. Petersburg, Florida, a vintage Gruen VeriThin pocket watch realised a price of $325.
Gruen Watch Co
On October 5th 2007 at Tom Harris Auctions in Marshalltown, Indianapolis, a vintage Gruen VeriThin pocket watch realised a price of $300.