Life, 1928-11-09 · page 29 of 52
Life — November 9, 1928 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a luxury jewelry advertisement from Life magazine's advertising section. The page promotes Gruen's "Mode du Bijou" (Jewelry Fashion) diamond-set watches. The text positions these watches as cutting-edge fashion accessories, deliberately equating them with the latest Paris couture: "so new in design...that no frock fresh from Paris could be newer." Key selling points include: - Design innovation from Gruen Guild workshops in Europe and America - Watches framed as unified fashion statements (watch + bracelet as single ornament) - Association with high-status jewelers of "very best" community reputation - Pricing from $125-$10,000 The advertisement uses aspirational language about Paris fashion and Fifth Avenue design centers to market luxury timepieces to wealthy Americans. Multiple watch designs are displayed photographically to showcase variety and elegance. This reflects 1920s-30s consumer culture targeting affluent customers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
pins De diamonds in all, completely encrusting the bezel, but it is the baguette diamond at either end of the dial, in de+ sign 330, that holds the key to In design 329 the true modern touch lies in Hel arrangement and new setting of Is, s0 simple, bence so effective! of the motif inthe smart mesh, % and bracelet one unit, is an insprration. 32 diamonds in all. $375 'HINK of it! Diamond-set watches so new in design, so advanced in theirexpression of the modern vogue, that no frock fresh from Paris could be newer, more authentically the fashion of the hour! In Paris, on Fifth Avenue, in the very centers where all our notions of design are being literally remade, these watches were conceived. The Gruen Guild workshops in Europe and America have united to produce them for your Gruen jeweler. This jeweler is one youwould goto, tobuy diamonds, anyway. He is one of the very best in your community. His reputation, together with the Gruen name, is your assurance that | |i character. $475 fires. $325 ebro AS ADVANCED AS YOUR NEXT PARIS FROCK! CThese 27 This emblem is displayed enly by jewelers of high business character, qualified members of the Gruen Guild Bold color contrast enters into design 304 with 4 largecabochon green onyx, now dominating, now playing a subordinate rele when 14 diamonds flash their Isis primarily in treating watch and flexible bracelet as a singleornament, thoroughly con- sistent in design, that the Mode da Bijou is expressed. Design 328. 18 diamonds. $285 the watch cases and the diamonds with which they are set are of un- questioned value. That the cases are sturdily fashioned to give ample protection to the finely wrought Gruen movement within. Ask him for the valuable Gruen Mode du Bijou book which tells you many things that every prospective purchaser of a diamond watch ought to know. Or you may write for this book direct to Gruen WaTCu Makers GuILD Time Hitt, Cincinnatl, U.S.A. Paris New York Los Angeles Toronto Berlin Biel eneva Engaged in the art of making fine watches for more than half a century CRUEN MODE cu BISOU WATCHES Three more examples from the great varitty your Gruen jeweler can please you with. For Gruen diamond-set watches: ok in price frem $10,000 to $60. These, lefe to right ‘are priced at $165, $125 and $200, designs 58, 255 and 214 respectively comicbooks.com