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1942 Gruen 420SS

The latest Gruen in the stable and this is a project watch as you can see by the less than perfect dial. At first glance I’d guess it’s a gold bezel but I won’t bother having it tested since it’s not of any substantial size. The first thing I did was degrease the dial which had been partially cleaned with a heavy hand removing a good portion of the radium and printing. Next I took a fine pick and removed what was left of the original lead seal that made up the waterproofing element. It’s the first time I’ve seen lead used but I gather most other pieces have just had it removed by previous watchmakers.

Inside the case

There are a few bends in the lugs that I’ll heat and straighten but other than that it’s clean as you can hope for inside the case. A 420SS movement that’s running strong and at first glance keeping accurate time within a minute per day. Being a lightweight at approximately 32mm I wouldn’t put it in the daily wear case but it does have that great Gruen look to it, so I like it.

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