Universal Geneve Ultra-Thin Square

The History

The Universal Geneve brand is as storied an institution as any in the watchmaking world. They date their history back to January 18th, 1894 and through various names have been producing some of the finest watches in the world ever since. Today the brand is most well known for their early chronographs from the Compur and Compax lines as well as the much loved Polerouter and its various iterations. Recently there has also been increased interest in their later Unisonic line of tuning fork powered watches and the various quirky, funky, and fun designs that Universal Genever introduced with that movement. Regardless of what phase of the brand you are most interested in UG provides a treasure trove of great watches and history for the seasoned or novice collector. If you are interested in diving deeper into the world of Universal Geneve then we highly recommend the Universal Geneve chronographs and complicated wristwatches book by Pietro Giuliano Sala.

The Reference

Beyond the chronograph prowess of UG, first with the Compur, then the Compax and Tri-Compax product lines, and of course the Polerouter, the most collected watch from the brand, Universal Geneve also produced a lot of watches that we less complicated, less tool driven and much more design and fashion forward. Watches like the miniature dialed ref. 100110 and time only dress watches of the 50s and 60s featuring their caliber 138SS “bumper movement” come to mind as great examples of this side of the brand. While not something that UG focused on or produced in great numbers these watches were executed extremely well and represent not just great design but are also powered by the kind of fantastic movements that UG is well known for. This Universal Geneve Ultra-Thin Square is a great representation of this lesser known side of the brand.

The Case

The 28mm stainless steel case is in good condition. The case features a radiant brushed finish on the top of the case highlighted by a high polished bevel sloping down to the almost nonexistent case sides (the case itself without the crystal measures just a hair over 3mm thick). We also love the non-integrated lugs which is refreshing to see on a square watch. The crown is signed and the caseback is stamped with identifying information. The acrylic crystal shows some light scratches but is in overall good condition as well.

The Dial and Hands

The dial and hands of this watch are unobtrusive which is to say that their simplicity allows the real star of the show, the case, to shine. Overall condition of the dial and hands is very good with some very small scratches being the only items of note.

The Movement

This watch features a hand wound Universal Geneve calibre 42 movement. The watch is running and the service history is unknown.

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