Gruen Techni-Quadron Doctor's Watch

Why We Love It The 1930s were the golden years of American watchmaking, and Gruen was a bright star in the horological firmament. Ties to Swiss brands like Rolex and Aegler resulted in the creation of some of the finest watches ever made in the United States. This watch, a Techni-Quadron, is one of the most elegant—and, at the time it was minted, accurate. This particular Techni-Quadron is, without question, an Art Deco masterpiece. The white gold-filled rectangular case (“reinforced with extra gold”) has ornate engravings along the side. Stately and subdued with a handsomely-aged silver dial, the Techni-Quadron has all the makings of a distinctive dress watch. The Story The Techni-Quadron shares a movement—the Calibre 877—with the Rolex Prince. In fact, due to this agreement between movement manufacturer Aegler, Rolex, and Gruen, the Techni-Quadron is, more or less, the Prince by another name. Rolex sold this watch as the Prince in Europe and throughout the British Empire, marketing it to “men of distinction,” while Gruen sold it in the U.S. to the “man who requires the exact time in seconds”—mainly physicians, which led to the Techni-Quadron gaining a reputation as a “doctor’s watch.” Gruen sold its shares in Aegler in 1934, which effectively ended the production of the Techni-Quadron. With Gruen out of the way, Rolex was allowed to sell the Prince in the United States, which it did from the 1940s to the 1950s, when the model was discontinued. However, the Techni-Quadron is rarer than the Prince, and paradoxically more affordable, due to the lack of “Rolex” on the dial.