1930s Illinois Guardian, 17J, Rotating Disc, Art Deco! restored

The Illinois watch company has long been considered the greatest American Watch Company that had an early demise to management and the great depression. The made some of the best mov...

What an incredible offering. How about an English Waltham Trench Watch with a rare shadow box military dial from the famous Dennison watch case manufacturing company. Examine this c...

My shop was recently selected to supply vintage American watches for a premier movie starring some major actors and a world famous director. They were looking for authentic watches that would represent the time period from 1915-1926. I was selected because of my attention to detail and originality. It is a true story of events that took place during the 1920’s. This would of been a perfect watch style for the film. Gruen "Quadron Model 63" Men's Art Deco design wristwatch in 14K yellow gold fill, circa 1930. This Quadron model has a large stepped case with a recessed crown. It was priced at $52.50 in 1930. It is in excellent condition showing only a few tiny specks of brassing to the bezel corners and a little to the tips of the lugs. The case back is excellent and unengaged, it does have a tiny flea bite. Dial is very good. Case measures 38mm long and 24mm wide. The watch is powered by its correct 15-jewel Gruen grade 157 Quadron manual wind movement, just serviced and running strong. In years from the 1920s through the 1940s, the Gruen Watch Company of USA & Switzerland was one of the leaders in wristwatch design and quality, even working together with Rolex. In 1925, Gruen introduced the men's Quadron. Similar in concept to the women's Cartouche models, these were rectangular watches containing very high-quality 15-j or 17-j tonneau-shaped movements. A larger movement is generally more reliable and accurate, and is generally more rugged, than a smaller one of the same quality, so the Gruen Cartouche and Quadron, with their case-filling, purpose-built movements performed much better than the small, round movements used by most of their competitors at the time. Round movements were still used in the less expensive rectangular Gruen wristwatches...

Let me introduce you to the Hamilton Square B Engraved! It is a mouthful! This 14 karat white gold filled Art Deco beauty was made for approximately 2 years, a very short run. Who is the Hamilton Watch Company, read below! Think Art Deco, think Roaring 20's, think the birth of a wrist watch, that's is where this watch is placed in historical context Hamilton Watch Company, What a story! Hamilton was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and began producing pocket watches. From the very beginning, the focus was on quality and accuracy, and these principles had made Hamilton a...

I have another treasure for your consideration. It is one of the first Gruen Curvex models introduced in the mid 1930’s. Let me introduce you to the Gruen Curvex “ Batwing”. A highl...

Jaeger- LeCoultre is a brand that needs no introduction. I am presenting to you a 1960’’s Jaeger LeCoultre that has been totally restored. It is a stunning survivor The Brand History of JLC or Jaeger-LeCoultre Of all the luxury watch brands, Jaeger-LeCoultre may seem like one of the more unattainable to the average buyer. Even in the pre-owned market, their models can be five figures. In addition, the sheer volume of models they develop annually is quite impressive. There are understandably a number of reasons a powerhouse brand like Jaeger-LeCoultre is intimidating at first glance. However, like many watchmakers, the brand comes from humble beginnings. Here, we’ll dive deeper into this storied company and help to make them a bit more accessible. It Started with Antoine LeCoultre Before Jaeger-LeCoultre became the brand we know today, it was simply a man named Antoine LeCoultre and his workshop. LeCoultre was an inventor and self-taught watchmaker. He founded his first workshop near the famous Jura Mountains in 1833. In the early years, LeCoultre contributed several pivotal inventions to the field of watchmaking. In 1844, he created a device that would forever change the industry. It wasn’t a watch or even an element of a timepiece. Instead, it was a tool called the Millionometer. The Millionometer was the first instrument capable of measuring a micron. It helped to refine the manufacture of watch parts and establish the metric system as the standard for watch measurement. Just three years later, he devised the crown winding system. This eliminated the need for keys to wind or set a watch. In 1851, LeCoultre and his inventions finally received the recognition they deserved. That year, London curated an event called the Universal Exhibition to celebrate the commencement of the modern age. Here, LeCoultre received a gold medal for his contributions to the field of watchmaking. In addition, Queen Victoria purchased one of his watches. As LeCoultre grew older, he brought his son, Elie, into the business. At the time, the Swiss watchmaking industry remained centralized around small workshops. However, Elie saw a vision for the future. He encouraged his father to grow the business into a larger scale factory. Soon, they became the first to establish in the illustrious Joux Valley. Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to reside here today. Expanding the company’s facilities allowed them to expand their work, and they began developing complicated movements. One of the most notable combined a repeater and a chronograph in a single piece. This work would later set the foundation for the brand’s coveted Grand Complications. Edmond Jaeger Completes the Brand Around the same time, a man named Edmond Jaeger set up a workshop in Paris and became the official horologist to the French Navy. Soon, he was developing ultra-thin movements and catching the attention of others in the industry. LeCoultre was intrigued and decided to approach Jaeger about a collaboration. Just after the turn of the century, the duo created the most remarkable ultra-thin caliber of the era. Eventually, Jaeger-LeCoultre would go on to use this Caliber 145 movement in its watches for the next half a century. Jaeger and LeCoultre continued to work together on projects over the next several decades. In 1925, the pair introduced the world’s smallest movement: the Caliber 101. With nearly 100 components, the movement shockingly only weighed about one gram. However, it wasn’t until 1937 that they officially formed a partnership and the Jaeger brand history began. What I am offering is a totally restore LeCoultre. The watch was presented to a European watchmaker for his meticulous care. The case was gently brought back to its original status. The movement was taken apart and assembled back with unwavering care to insure many years if operation. The dial was sent to a well know dial company to restore the faded dial to its original glory. The hands were carefully restored. I replaced the original crystal with a new old stock crystal. The crown is signed and is original to the watch. I have carefully crafted my reputation with vintage watches. This offering is rare and hard to find in this condition. The date if the movement puts the watch around the 1960’s Notice that it has no second hand, this makes it unusual in itself. The Case measures: 23MM from 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock 35.86 From Lug to Lug Look at the photographs as a visual description. I have worked very hard to carefully put back a masterpiece of a watch. I have fitted the treasure with a 17MM Crocodile watch band...

FACTORY / HOUSE: Illinois Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Commodore / Art Deco METAL / MATERIAL: White Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1930's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 27mm Length X 34mm Width MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 15 Jewels / Caliber 605 DIAL / HANDS: Silver Dial with Art Deco Arabic Numerals / Blued Steel hands ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Leather, 16mm / Regular Length WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT Illinois Watch Company was one of America's famous old houses. The company was sold to Hamilton in the late 1920's so this watch was produced after the sale. We seldom get Illinois wrist watches...

Art Deco Diamond Wristwatch. Circa 1930. Total length: approx. 17.70 centimeters. Total width: approx. 0.80 centimeters. Case dimensions: 2.20 centimeters x 0.80 centimeters. Tota...

FACTORY / HOUSE: Illinois Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco Tonneau Shape METAL / MATERIAL: Yellow Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1940's DIMENSION...

Fabulous pair of matching Art Deco men’s cufflinks with a great geometric pattern. Silver toned metal with red enamel decoration and dating to the 1930's make this links very distinc...

Great Art Deco geometric styling and colour, can't be confused with any other era can they? Condition is great with very mid signs of usage. Originating from England and ideal for an...

FACTORY / HOUSE: Shreve and Company San Francisco STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco Glass, Gilt and Nickel METAL / MATERIAL: CIRCA / YEAR: D...