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Universal Genève 18 k gold Dress Watch Saudi Armed Forces, 1960s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Universal Genève 18 k gold Dress Watch Saudi Armed Forces, 1960s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Universal Genève (maker)
Date
1960s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
gold
Dimensions
Case 35 mm
Stock no.
W-949
Credit line
Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-949)
Catalogue title (original)
Universal Genève 18 k gold Dress Watch Saudi Armed Forces (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-949), this is a wristwatch by Universal Genève, made in Switzerland, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 35 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Bulang & Sons

A golden git… This is a very nice example of a Universal Genève (UG) 14kt rose gold dress watch. The 35mm screw –down case remains in really beautiful condition and features a stepped bezel and so-called ‘fancy’ lugs. The textured pink dial features applied hour markers and has the emblem of the Saudi Armed Forces in the upper half and the King’s Saud signature on the lower half. The non-luminous rose hold hands truly complement the rose gold hour markers. This a striking watch that we believe would have been a gift from the King to a member of his armed Forces! The watch has been fully checked by our watchmaker and will come on a Bulang and Sons strap. Specifications - Universal Genève dress watc h - Case no 1747xxx dating to the 1960s - 35mm screw down 14kt rose gold case - Royal Saudi Armed Forces logo dial - Manual wind calibre 332 movement - Checked by our watchmaker - Includes a handmade single leather watch pouch

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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