Friday, August 29, 2008

Gruen Curvex Quartz

No, you're not having deja vu nor seeing double. Today's watch is also a Gruen Curvex like yesterday's. This one, however, is a pale imitation of the original. It was made sometime in the mid 1990s, I believe after the Gruen name was sold to this company. To quote this FAQ, "The Gruen Watch Company no longer exists." One need only look at this watch to know that is true. First off, while it retains the Curvex name and dial printing of the original, notice how flat this dial appears, lacking the visual depth of the original, as well as the actual sculpting of the seconds track. Also, the case is not as curved as the original, nor as long. It really ruins the design, not to mention the lack of beveling on the case, replaced by nondescript rounded edges. The movement is just as nondescript, some Japanese quartz movement, at least it claims to be Japanese. I'm not a big fan of this watch and it is not a proper homage to the original. I should probably get rid of it.












2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello. I am trying to find out how much this Gruen Watch I have is worth. Can you help? All of the sites i've found are a bit confusing and I cant locate this specific watch. Help! ;-) Alan

Jason said...

Alan, it's not worth a lot, maybe $20 to $30. I've seen a few sell on eBay and they have been around that range. I'm sure others have gone unsold as they're not particularly desirable. If you have any other questions send me an email. Thanks, Jason