(3) Vintage Gruen and Helbros Stainless Steel and Rolled Gold Plate Wrist Watches. 2 are Helbros with a unique twisted body and face, 1 is Gruen with a similar twisted oval body but square face. The Gruen and one of the Helbros are 10k rolled gold plate bezel with a stainless steel back, and the last is base metal metal with stainless steel back, all marked.
Condition: We cannot guarantee the working condition of any timepiece.
Band Length: 6 in.
Dietrich Gruen, born in Germany in 1847, trained as a watchmaker before immigrating to the United States in 1870, where he patented a safety pinion and co-founded the Columbus Watch Manufacturing Company in 1876. After being forced out during the Panic of 1893, he established D. Gruen & Son with his son Frederick, later renamed D. Gruen, Sons & Co, and opened a Swiss subsidiary in Biel/Bienne. The company introduced its first wristwatches in 1908, expanded significantly during the 1920s as wristwatches became fashionable, and achieved sales exceeding five million dollars, becoming the largest U.S. watchmaker. Gruen weathered the Great Depression with innovations like the Curvex line, and during World War II its Time Hill factory produced military instruments and precision gauges. After the war, with U.S. manufacturing declining, the Gruen family sold their interest in 1953, and the company was gradually broken up and sold by shareholders over the following five years.
Founded in 1913 in New York City by brothers William and Julius Helbein, the Helbros Watch Company was established with the goal of making stylish, quality timepieces accessible to the working public. Derived as a portmanteau of “Helbein Brothers,” the brand operated primarily as a watch assembler, pairing reliable imported Swiss mechanical movements with American-designed cases and dials. Helbros rose to national prominence through aggressive advertising campaigns across print, radio, and television, transforming its name into a ubiquitous household brand throughout the mid 20th Century. During World War II the company supported the war effort by manufacturing durable military-style timepieces and actively promoting U.S. War Bonds. Its diverse catalog spanned everything from fine dress watches and chronographs to whimsical licensed character timepieces, including famous Mickey Mouse designs. Although corporate shifts and ownership changes occurred during the quartz revolution, including a period under the Elgin National Watch Company, Helbros remains a popular though much reduced brand today.
We cannot guarantee the working condition of any timepiece.
All items are sold AS IS. Lot and condition details are for descriptive purposes only. Sarasota Estate Auction is not responsible for errors and/or omissions of condition. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is perfect or free from wear, flaws, or characteristics of age. Please bid according to your own expertise, or request any additional information and/or photographs you deem necessary.
