Electroplating Rescues a 1950s Gruen Watch - This Was One Tough Vintage Restoration!
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- The watch that was too expensive for James Bond! This vintage Gruen watch restoration was probably my largest one to date. Everything needed some work on this watch: the case needed to be reelectroplated, the hands needed reluming, and the movement needed a serious amount of work. I even had to make a strap for it! This is a big one, and I hope you enjoy it.
The LinkMicro microscope used in this video can be found here (not an affiliate link): www.amazon.com/dp/B09VT1Z6L8 I enjoyed using it, and hopefully it adds something to the videos.
#vintagewatches #WatchRestoration #watchrepair #vintagewatch
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The story of Gruen watches originates in the German village of Ostofen, around the mid-1800s. Dietrich Gruen emigrated to America from there, having trained in Swiss watch factories. In 1874, Gruen obtained a patent for an improved safety pinion, marking the official start of the Gruen Watch Company.
Actual watch production began nearly two years later. In 1876, with W.J. Savage, Gruen founded the Columbus Watch Co. The company moved to South Bend, Indiana in 1893 due to an economic depression.
By 1894, Gruen and his sons restarted as D. Gruen & Sons. They moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, creating unique headquarters. In the early 1900s, the name shifted to just "Gruen."
The essence of Gruen watches was Swiss due to imported movements, though some were made in the US in the 1950s.
Around 1915, Gruen's first men's wristwatches appeared, followed by the introduction of the rectangular Caliber 117 movement in 1925.
In 1935, the patented Curvex movement (Caliber 311) defined Gruen's history, setting a trend that couldn't be copied.
The Techni-Quadron, a duo-dial doctor's watch, emerged using movements like 877 (1928) and 500 (1936).
Gruen's watches were notable with distinct designs, including the iconic Curvex style.
In 1950, the Autowind movement series debuted, accompanied by a short-lived American plant. The company relocated in 1958, marking the end of the vintage Gruen era.
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Oil used
Light oil (escape wheel/third wheel/fourth wheel/balance pivots): Moebius 9010
Heavy oil (centre wheel/barrel arbor/barrel/motion work): Moebius HP 1300 or Moebius D5
Pallet oil: Moebius 941/2 and Moebius 9415 pallet grease (for fast beating watches over 19,800bph)
Mainspring: Moebius 8200 grease
Keyless work and upper crown wheel: Moebius 8301 grease
Cleaning agents
Elma - WF Pro Watch Cleaning
Elma Suprol Pro
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00:00 Introduction and History
00:30 Disassembling the Watch Movement
07:11 Cleaning the Watch Parts Thoroughly
08:53 Refinishing the Case and Electroplating Process
15:52 Reassembling and Oiling the Movement
18:39 Winding the Mainspring: Left-Handed Spring, Right-Handed Winders!
18:00 Reassembling and Oiling the Back of the Mainplate"
20:51 Debut of the LinkMicro Microscope
34:21 Crafting the Watch Strap
44:43 Tick Tock: Does the Watch Run?
48:16 Enhancing the Hands with Lume
49:54 Revealing the Results and Showcasing the Watch on Wrist 
Хобби
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So @ 47.55 I oil the top of a cap jewel. Those of you that know can go ahead and laugh now 😓 Those of you who don't, well, don't do this. You'll end up looking like a right muppet in front of a lot of people on the internet. Ask me how I know.😅Feel free to laugh, as I did when I spotted it.
I laughed.. sorry.
👍
O
Witam wszystkich serdecznie życzę miłego dnia Tobie oraz wszystkim którzy kochają zegarki Stary Baca Dzięki za to że Jesteś zdrowia życzę I pięknych chwil dla których warto żyć Dobrego dnia życzy Stary Baca
We watch lovers...wear a tiny engine on our wrist
The strap making was fascinating and something not seen on any other watch repair channel that I'm aware of. I just subscribed.
Appreciate that thanks for the sub!
The Gruen Precision was indeed Connery's personal watch. It was his "lucky" watch that he purchased with his first substantial payday, and first starring role, for _Darby O'Gill and the Little People_ in 1959. The watch was the "nicest one he could afford," and cost him 40 quid on Bond Street. While passing the newsstand, he saw an interesting looking paperback on the rack, and bought it to read in his hotel. It was Ian Fleming's "Dr. No," which ended up being his breakout role two years later. The Bond Street Gruen is now owned by his son, Jason Connery.
That's very interesting I wish i'd know that for the video lol Cheers that's a fantastic bit of info much appreciated!
It must have been a huge coincidence that the future Bond bought his Gruen from Bond Street, and a wrist shot or two in Bond movies.
Fascinating bonus information - I also had to check out a trailer for the 'Darby O'Gill and the Little People' film! Thank you Sir!
That's a great story. And people don't believe in coincidence...
I'm looking forward
to the next opportunity to watch the next story of the watch and interested in the story of watch manufacturers does and don't,s about the wright things to do if you sort it out by your self
Would absolutely LOVE to see more strap making.
I'll add some to the next video. Nice channel you have. I've always been fascinated by gunsmithing. Great stuff
I wasn't expecting the strap making, but wow. It turned out beautifully. With this, the plating and the hairspring adjustment this was a project and a half. Great stuff all round. Very much a yes on more strap making, because if this was the result with tinfoil tools, I think everyone would appreciate seeing you working with your own kit
Thank you, filming the process makes it a lot harder as well lol this is my excuse for being a bit crap at getting my post done in a timely manner :D
Yes please, for the strap making
Thanks for letting me know, glad you liked it.
@@Saving-Timedefinitely keep the strap making
@@Saving-Time- Never observed a strap being made. Agreed. Show more strap making.
I have decided that this is the best watchmaking channel. (Especially since the "Watch Repair Channel" makes so few videos. He's busy as a professional watchmaker.) May you do this happily for many years!
Mark is a far better watchmaker than me, so I'm glad you are enjoying my stuff. I'll be around for some time, I hope.
My husband found your channel while searching for watch repair videos. We really enjoy your videos! You have the best sense of humor!
Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. All the best - David
Wow! Glad to see someone who has the patience to do such work.
Well, I do have to stop every now and again; it can get frustrating. Glad you enjoyed it.
Hi John Green watch famous for the veri thin pocket watch. Nice job. All Bonded together
Hi John, nice to see you around :) Hope you're keeping well!
I'm bookmarking this one for the strap making section. Please include more!
Will do!
Awesome! The strap is absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you!
Thanks for the detailed section of making the strap as well. Really interesting.
No problem glad you found it interesting. Thanks for letting me know.
so nice to see how you clean all the parts and then realize that they are really miniscule parts. wonderful to watch and hear what you are doing.
Thank you. The scale of the parts can be very intimidating when you first start out. I'm glad you liked it.
Wow!!! it's a beauty NOW! You gave us everything. Including the plating and macking a luxury strap! Thank you..❤🩹
Glad you like it! And thank you for the kind words!
Love gruen watches. When I finsihed secondary school my grand father gave me one, that was 1976, and I'm still wearing it today... Thanks for the video and the memories...
You are most welcome. That's what I love about watches. I have my grandfather's Longines. If I could only keep one watch, it would be that one!
Super DIY strap and restoration , excellent enlarged and clear video
Thank you very much!
interesting, first time I see a tuto on how to make a watch strap, I was wondering about trying. Thanks
You're welcome. Good luck, and I'm glad you found it of interest. :)
Loved seeing the strap.
As much as I was glued to the Gruen habilitation, I was over-the-moon with your watch strap! It looks very much like a baseball mitt (glove)… FANTASTIC.
The look I was going for was the old vintage look, so a baseball mitt fits perfectly for the look I was aiming for, so thank you. I'm glad you liked it.
The watch looks great and so does the band.😊
Thanks :)
Best watch cleaning channel of all!
Great microscope imaging...
Thank you so much 👍
Love the simplicity of this video. Really liked the strap-making as well.
Glad you liked it!
Incredible restoration, that took much love. Impressive as always 🫡🤝
Great to see a Gruen Precision on here as I am prepping to restore a
Gruen Precision 25 Jewel Autowind! Microscope views are fantastic addition!
Good luck! Gruen autos are fantastic. Appreciate you letting me know about the microscope. I'm never sure if i'm including to much or not. Glad you liked it!
Loved the strap! Great. Another hobby.
Thank you and at least leather work is relatively cheap lol
Simple elegant I quite enjoyed the video. 👏
Lovely & very interesting presentation. I enjoyed that👍👍
Many thanks. Glad you liked it.
Incredible hobby!! 😊
It really is! Thank you
Really liked the band making. Very cool.
Thanks so much!
Never seen a strap made before, I enjoyed it, thanks. More please.
More to come! thanks for letting me know.
I thoroughly enjoyed the leather work with this. Please include more when you find it appropriate! Thank you for the video.
More to come! Thank you
Like the delivery and the strap making. My first ST video and won't be my last. Excellent.
Welcome aboard! Thank you
I have to admit that the discovery of your channel was quite by accident. Regardless, I was memorized. Wonderful production value with well timed and interesting voice overs. I haven't worn a watch in 30 years but I would make an exception for your Gruen. Merci.
Thank you; that's very nice of you to say.
Great watch. Gruens are so smart. Love the strap. You gotta do more. Most watchmakers cannot do straps. This is a positive point of difference. Well done 👍
Thank you! More straps on the way. Glad you enjoyed it.
you're welcome@@Saving-Time
Great presentation and British humor. Michael Moore
Cheers glad you liked it
Really enjoyed the strap-making segment! ... More please.
Will do!
Just wonderful!!!
Many thanks!
Excellent!! More straps please.
More to come! Thank you for the kind words
A great video I very much enjoyed it as well as the strap making.
Awesome, thank you!
Excellent video, thank you.
I really enjoyed watching the strap making, beautiful work.
Glad you enjoyed it! More on the way
Great job and tutorial!! Congrats
Thanks so much!
Great work love the strap enjoyed the complete process start to finish quality
Thank you! Cheers! Very nice to hear
Glad I found this. Nice watch and strap. 👍
Thanks for watching! More strap making to come
Two thumbs up for this sir! Great job, well done!
Thank you kindly!
Such a wonderful job on this beauty. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Frank in Colorado
Many thanks! You are most welcome. Hello from Prague!
Brilliant, enjoyed every minute. The Gruen close enough is very funny, love the strap as well.
Wow,what an absolutely beautiful looking piece,the stripdown and rebuild was really fascinating!
Thank you very much! I love this watch!
Magnificent. Enjoyed every minute of the video. Please do more watch straps. I'd love to have the same watch. Cheers from Australia!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the kind words - Hello from Prague
Just finish the video, strap making, what a bonus. Very nice job.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know :)
Really like the strap making part of this video! More, yes please! 👍
More to come! Snake skin up next
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Thank you 🙂
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I see you have some math content; good on you. People should know more math.
Great. Absolutely great. Loads of expertise and no BS.
I save the BS for when the beer comes out lol Glad you liked it. Thank you
What a fun video to watch on my Saturday morning with a cup of coffee. You did a wonderful job with every aspect of the project and you are correct, the watch looks gorgeous!! Wear it in good health!!
Thank you sir, very kind of you to say I'm glad you enjoyed it.
A very good video and restoration. Adding the band creation makes it even better. Thanks for making your vidoes!
Glad you like them! Nice of you to let me know
I am very impressed with your practical approach to this.
I appreciate that! Thanks for the kind words
Parabéns pelo seu talento ❤ muito bom
Thank you!
A very enjoyable video. Loved the plating process and the strap making. More like this would be great. Thanks for taking the time to make this video.
Glad you enjoyed it! More on the way
WOW! I'm extremely impressed with your video (first one for me) and all of the diverse operations that you covered. I loved the strap construction AND the electroplating. Please continue to send these "golden nuggets" along for our education. Thank you! 😄
Glad you enjoyed it! New video just dropped on the channel do let me know what you think!
As a Gruen fan, I love the finished product! What a fantastic job. I would definitely like to see more instructional videos for the strap making and the plating! I have also been researching dial making/refinishing and am looking forward to trying that as well.
I made a dial from scratch in this video, if you are interested: ruclips.net/video/Ta-eNdhNCnk/видео.html I appreciate the kind words
Great repair, and I always enjoy watching leather work.
Thanks 👍 Glad you liked it :)
Enjoyed your expose and your strap work, thanks so very much😊!
You are so welcome!
That’s a great result. Beautiful. The strap is perfect for the Gruen. Thanks!
Glad you like it!
Superb restoration and the bracelet is beautiful ! 😊🇨🇦
Thank you very much!
Loved the story telling and the attention to detail on disassembly and assembly. The microscope really adds to the visual effect of the repairs. Spot on!
Thank you appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Cheers
Great video, particularly enjoyed the strap-making, something different. Looking forward to the next one!
Thanks! 👍 I'll be including more strap making for sure.
Another great job! I enjoyed watching it very much. Thank you.
Wow! You knocked it out of the park! Beautiful work. Yes. I enjoyed the leather work. Keep it up.
Thank you! Will do!
Beautiful watch. Simply beautiful.
It really is! Gruen where fantastic back in the day!
Love your program, especially with the cometary. I also love the part, when you make the watch bands! Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know
Great video and yes it was very interesting watching you build the watch, make the strap and cook dinner in the background all at the same time! Amazing. I can't do any of those things and you did all 3 at once!!
Glad you enjoyed it, I can't leap tall building in a single bound yet but i'm trying lol Thanks for the kind words
how amazing is this video! I enjoyed it and learned a lot! Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I have lg box watches I don't wear, this video has given me new appreciation for the 3 early Gruen precision in that lot. Will look to see if 1 is the Bond watch.
Fantastic work ! Bravo !
Glad you like it! Thanks
I have one of those in mint condition. Keeps perfect time and is nicely understated on the wrist.
They are really nice watches.
@@Saving-Time I would rather buy a nice vintage watch than any modern stuff.
Some of the "bling" wrist clocks are just too much.
Excellent video! Brilliant presentation, engaging and informative.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was quite a value-packed video. You do it all. Thank you for sharing. All amazing info for the learners
Glad it was helpful!
Positively stunning job.
Thank you!
Excellent work.
For the barrel arbour, i use an easy lock sliding pin vice, works a treat.
I just ordered one! last week i was hoping it would work, so this comment makes me very happy thank you :)
You do great work for sure. The strap build is great as well, bring em on!
Thanks, will do!
I too watched New Yankee Workshop. Loved Norms creations, but hated his color choices. Couldn't stand the PAINTING he did with such fine wood craftsmanship. Believe it or not, YOUR the NYW of horology. Love the straps. Hand made GENUINE items! Your vids are AWESOME!!! Nicely done.
I own a biscuit joiner because of Norm, the least used tool in my workshop. I agree on the painting. Glad you enjoyed the straps ,the term handmade gets thrown around a bit to much these days. Thank you for the kind words.
What an excellent job. The microscope really brings up the detail and the imperfections, scary. lol. Thank you Saving -Time.
Glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know.
Great work on a beautiful watch.
Thank you kindly
Brilliant job, mate. The watch is beautiful!
Thank you kindly!
You did an excellent job sanding and polishing the case and keeping all the edges and the tiny step-bevel around the bezel. Tricky work.
Thank you appreciate the kind words
You just got a new subscriber. I’ve seen plenty of restoration videos but no one has made a strap. Nice job.
Thanks for the sub! Glad you enjoyed it
Love your workmanship watch and strap are perfect
Thank you nice of you to say!
Great video and strap making especially, very interesting
Thanks for watching! Glad you liked the strap
Well done, lots of fun❤. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
Greetings from St George Utah, Stunning piece Beutiful restoration my couple tea, I have several Gruen watches and I love them, I have enjoy them wearing them, especially the Gruen Curvex ,Beutiful history behind this underrated brand,in my humble opinion...until next time, also awesome leather band...looks incredible enjoy it....
Thank you very much! Gruen are very much underrated IMO love the Curvex hope to own one one day!
It looks amazing
It seems so easy to see you doing the strap !
Very good job by the way on the 2 works !
Thanks 👍 The strap makes up a large part of the watch it's the first thing anyone notices about a watch and it's often overlooked. Hell i have watches where the strap is worth more money than the watch lol Glad you enjoyed it.
Just wonderful. The leather work is so beautiful. By the way at 79 years old I remember when I was 15 or 14 years old watches with this style of face were the "in" thing, clean and very "modern"! Many thanks for the video.
Thank you. This watch will always be a classic, in my opinion; it still looks fantastic 70 years later. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Looks Brilliant!
Thank you.
Loved the strap making!
Thank you for letting me know. More to come in the next video.
love the watch and a real insite into strap making .
Nice video.
Thanks for watching! Nice of you to let me know.
Marvelous job, congrats
Thank you very much
Absolutely riveting video. Very interesting and informative. Top marks across the board. Thanks so much.
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers
I really enjoyed watching your strap making tutorial. It came out great!
Thank you so much! It's nice to take a break from the watchmaking and do something that does not require a magnifying glass strapped to your head. Thank you for the kind words.