All about Gruen

[Fred]

Beginning the thread with a curveball: a mystery ad from 1905, for E.P. Roberts & Sons of Pittsburgh. Familiar watch name (albeit in lower case), familiar claims seen years later in Gruen national ads. The image? A woodcut depiction of watch shopping in Ye Olden Days, which is also seemingly prescient to Guildophiles.

Is this a Gruen?

[Dietrich]

Very interesting ad which you are showing here. Either it is a Gruen or they made a similar attempt to market flat watches from Switzerland but failed in marketing...
I would guess that the second is true as they claim to have the source in Geneva. But again this could be just marketing.

[Fred]

The curious thing to me is the date—does 1905 predate all silver dollar ads from Gruen? I only have ads from 1910s with this claim. I will also be looking to post the earliest Verithin ad I can find.

So far, it’s Sunset Magazine April 1906

[Mr. Bieser]

I have this from Town Talk, confirmed January 1906, with image of watch:

[Mr. Bieser]

Was looking in wrong year... March 30, 1905. Hartford Courant.
Images in 1905, look like one I posted above January 1906.

[Dietrich]

October 15th, 1904:

[Dietrich]

And from the JCK. Oct. 5th 1904. the launch of the name:

Yes, this ad is missing in my Vol.1 book...

The Verithin has been on sale already before, but has been marketed as "Extra, Extra Thin", here my earliest ad from June 19th, 1904:

[Mr. Bieser]

Interesting, thankx alot for sharing, jck one is spectacular.
Wow, June 04!

"does 1905 predate all silver dollar ads from Gruen?"

Not saying it's the first reference, but there are Gruen jeweler ads mentioning "silver dollar" in 1905, Dec 7...before they adopted into a large national campaign. Several brands used the description I found.

[Fred]

I knew there had to be earlier ones—thanks! That June 1904 has an interesting nugget tucked inside:

“Only 10 of these now on the American market…”

Do we have here the “in market” date for the lead shipment of 1st Gen Verithin?

[Fred]

Not saying it's the first reference, but there are Gruen jeweler ads mentioning "silver dollar" in 1905, Dec 7...before they adopted into a large national campaign. Several brands used the description I found.

Yes, agree it was not a claim exclusive to Gruen. The ad you shared is also interesting, as it shows a common retailer marketing claim: “made to our special order..” = only retailer name on dial & specified case type (?) Those original factory invoices from a few years later come to mind as I say this.

Looking back at the first ad I posted, I think there are 2 different Watch lines being mentioned: a “verithin” (sic) line and their house Precision line. I still see possibility the “verithin” mentioned is a Gruen, perhaps “1905 model” already the 2nd Gen? Their house Precision Watch line “Geneva” & “observatory” marketing speak IMO sounds more like Wittnauer claims from the time, for their commonly private-labeled Agassiz line. But so much in the ad cues Gruen—who wasn’t yet a powerhouse brand worthy of knocking off.

All speculative. Gonna save a search for this firm—see if any come up or are in historical auctions. Hopefully, someone here can dig up a few specimens!