Universal Geneve
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DETAILS
The name Universal Genève is usually associated with interesting chronographs, apart from the legendary Polerouter design from the 1950s, created by the young up-and-coming designer Gérald Genta. Universal Genève began its long history of wrist chronographs in 1934 with the Compur, a two-pusher model that was succeeded in 1935 by the Compax chronographs, which were available in many versions with dials with two, three or even four registers during their lifetime. Equipped with high-quality calibers and a unmistakable, pragmatic and instrumental design, Universal Genève chronographs are highly regarded by collectors. Among the best and most sought-after chronographs of this brand are the so-called "Nina Rindt" Compax with its unmistakable black and white "panda" dial, which is perhaps the most famous of these chronographs, especially the later versions with “reverse panda” or even the “exotic” version with a T-shaped dial; the “Eric Clapton” Tri-Compax Chronograph, associated with the famous guitarist, with a distinctive “panda” dial, four black sub-dials that give this watch a unique look; as well as the Uni-Compax “Big-Eye” Ref. 884100, which was introduced in 1963 and produced for only two or three years. Ref. 884100/01 was offered in two versions: with a black dial and white sub-dials (“reverse panda”, this watch) and Ref. 884100/02 with a white dial and black sub-dials (“panda”).
REASONS TO BUY
The Uni-Compax Ref. 884100/01 is undoubtedly one of the rarest, most esthetically significant and most sought-after vintage chronographs from Universal Genève, which were only produced between 1963 and 1965-1966. Three features make this watch particularly attractive: the “reverse panda” dial with black background and silvered white sub-dials; the impressive “Big-Eye” design, which owes its name to the significantly larger sub-dial with 45-minute register; and the high-contrast red crosshairs that divide the corresponding scales into 15-second and 15-minute intervals. The undisputed trump card of this watch is the Valjoux 23 hand-wound movement with the designation Universal Geneva caliber 125, which always inspires respect among connoisseurs of vintage chronographs of the 20th century.
ABOUT THIS WATCH
The Uni-Compax Ref. 884100 is undoubtedly one of Universal Genève’s most remarkable watches of all time. The main attraction of this model is its “reverse panda” dial with a large chronograph minute register, nicknamed the “Big-Eye”. It was a great experiment in chronograph design – an asymmetrical layout that emphasizes the chronograph function very clearly. In addition to Universal Genève, several brands followed this trend in the 1960s, including Breguet, LeCoultre, Enicar, Aquastar Genève and Longines.
In this Ref. 884100, we find a very detailed dial layout with two red crosshairs on the main dial, which makes it possible to clearly divide a minute into four 15-second intervals during timekeeping. The same can be done without turning on the chronograph with the constantly running small seconds at 9 o'clock, which also has its own red crosshairs. The third red accent is on the 45-minute chronograph register, and here too we see a division into intervals of 15 units, in this case minutes. In addition, the first 8 minutes of the 45-minute register are marked with a grey sector. Overall, this is a very remarkable and rare design.
The watch is powered by a Valjoux 23 hand-wound movement with the designation Universal Geneva caliber 125 and is an example of a chronograph design with typical features of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The sporty character of the watch, which was very popular at the time, is conveyed by the broad, tapered hour and minute hands, the broad, rectangular, blued small seconds hand and the 45-minute register hand, all of which are marked with luminous material. In addition to the red crosshairs and the grey sector, the slightly recessed sub-dials have a fine grooved decoration, which is a sign of a high-quality dial made with great attention to detail. The outer, white silver-plated ring of the dial, which has the same color as the sub-dials, is intended for the tachymeter and further emphasizes the sporty character of the design.
Specifications
| Ref | 884100/01 |
| D= | 37mm |
| Glass | Sapfire glass |
| Dial | Black |
| Case material | Stainless Steel |
| Year | Ca. 1960 |
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