The tradition of Gruen watches began in 1847 with the birth of Dietrich Gruen. He was born in Germany, where he remained until the 1880s. In 1867, Gruen decided to immigrate to the United States. When he was 15, Gruen began studying the art of watchmaking. He was an apprentice to famed watchmaker Hans Martens. Once he immigrated to America, Gruen met and married Pauline Wittlinger, whose father specialized in watchmaking. He worked for Wittlinger before starting his own enterprise in 1876, which he named the Columbus Watch Company. This venture lasted approximately 20 years until 1894, when Gruen decided to leave the company. Four years later, in 1898, Gruen established the Gruen Watch Company in Ohio, along with his two sons. In 1911, Dietrich died unexpectedly, which put his son Fred at the head of the company.
The Gruen Legacy
In the years following Dietrich’s death, Gruen watches continued to be both innovative and elegant. Fred Gruen continued to lead the company until 1940, when he retired. Over the course of the next 30 years, the company changed hands several times. Ultimately, the company continued under different leadership until 1976, when the original Gruen Watch Company officially closed down.
The Gruen Collection
Throughout its history, Gruen watches were considered to be both luxurious and innovative. Today, a Gruen watch is still considered to be a masterful timepiece. One of the original ambitions of Dietrich Gruen was to create smaller watches. As a result, he was the one who introduced the first 16-size watches (as opposed to the traditional 18-size). The first Gruen watches were available in both the 18-size and smaller 16-size. The VeriThin line, one of the company’s most notable and lasting series of watches, was launched in 1903. Gruen’s VeriThin watch essentially reduced the size of the complications and movements within a timepiece. This reduction allowed for the watch to be much smaller than normal. As a result, the VeriThin line was between a 10-size and a 12-size, which was almost three times smaller than other watches that were on the market at the time.
Gruen was among the first companies to continually produce wristwatches. They were involved in making Gruen watches for the military during World War I, though they were never considered an official supplier. The tradition of crafting innovative Gruen watches continued, particularly through the early part of the 20th century. The company launched the Cartouche watch in 1921 and the Pentagon watch in 1922. In 1925, the Quadron, which had a rectangular shape, became a popular Gruen watch. In 1935, the company launched what would be its most popular and famous watch – the Curvex. While most wristwatches up to this time had been bulky, the Curvex was a sleek, elegant timepiece that was considered stylish and groundbreaking.
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