All about Gruen

[Fred]

Gruens have appeared on and off-screen and on public figures. Several personalities were highlighted in ads through the years, but others not.

Here has to be one of the earliest film appearances of a Gruen (A Woman of Affairs, 1928), on John Gilbert. Anyone know of one before? Or anyone recognize the model?

You can still win the exact film watch, if you can manage to write in before Dec 10 1928.

[Mr. Bieser]

Strap 12? case looks like possibly a contender.

[Fred]

Good ID imo--I can't figure it out!

[Mr. Bieser]

I'd like to contribute to this thread. Unlike Bond this is an actual Gruen sighting. It's well known Gregory Pecks character in the 1961 film "The Guns of Navarone" wore a Gruen. It's been recycled endlessly in online discussion.
Well what isn't well known is Gruen had a special model produced and named after the film available to the public.
Gruen "Navarone" and "Lady Navarone".

[Dietrich]

Anyone here recalls Candy Candido? and does anyone know if he ever had a Gruen pocket watch which he might have got when he was a young boy of about 15?

[Fred]

I’d no idea about a Gruen Navarone! Great one. “Recycled endlessly” just goes to show how sheltered I am!

Also curious about Candido. This would’ve been circa 1928-29? I see he was born Dec 1913.

[Mr. Bieser]

"I’d no idea about a Gruen Navarone!"

Don't feel bad, no one did!

"just goes to show how sheltered I am! "

Nah these are whispers compared to the frenzied Bond fantasy. We're dealing in facts here. Fyi, the namesake Navarone is a completely different model than shown in the movie!

A Candy Candido Gruen?

[Dietrich]

Yes, I purchased a "Candy Candido" engraved Caliber 716 Gruen, Ultra Quality watch, serial 3065xxx. Should be from something like 1926 or a little later. The small 16 ligne caliber 716 makes this more a boys watch which fits to young Candy. I am just unsure if he would have had it engraved with his nickname Candy already this early or if the engraving was probably made later. Or whether or not it really belonged to him. As soon as the watch arrives I will try to reach out to his daughters if they remember him posessing a watch like it.

[Fred]

Wow, exciting! All seems to fit his dates. I’d date the case a year or two later, based on a certain marking change happening prior to your case #. However, I also note a 3.063mm presented in 1928. Yours would line up nicely to availability for his 15th birthday, imo. Does make me wonder when he acquired the nickname.

[Dietrich]

Thanks for updating on the marking change. 1928 definitely fits better as this would have been his 15th birthday and XMAS the same which probably allows a somewhat more generous gift like a Gruen watch.
I also would think that the Candy nickname was given to him later, first mentionings are in 1935. So the engraving may have happened later, but the gift of a "boys watch" in December 1928 would match timeframe and person perfectly.