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Universal Geneve Tri Compax Linen 222100, 1960s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Universal Geneve Tri Compax Linen 222100, 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
Dimensions
Case 36 mm
Stock no.
Product 6680997134423
Credit line
Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 6680997134423)
Catalogue title (original)
Universal Geneve Tri Compax Linen 222100 (English)

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

Record summary

Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 6680997134423), 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. Recorded dimensions: Case 36 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 — S.Song Watches

The Tri-Compax is perhaps Universal Geneve’s most famous model and from the ’40s to the 60’s they made many variations of their flagship model. The model name Tri Compax denotes that there are three complications in this watch- the chronograph, the triple calendar, and the moon phase. This example, the Ref. 222100 is a later Tri Compax, produced in the ’60s. It features twisted stylized Bombay lugs and a brushed/linen dial. It is sized at 36mm and as a result of both this and the twisted lugs, it sits amazingly well on the wrist. The dial is one of the most distinctive aspects of this watch, with a vertically brushed finish that reflects differently depending on the light source. Four subdials and two apertures make up the Tri Compax, with the calendar and moon phase function taking up the top part of the watch, with the chronograph subdials making up the bottom three. I must say, the moon phase is absolutely beautiful- a metallic blue with a gold moon and stars. In recent times, the Tri Compax has become one of the hottest watches in the vintage watch market as collectors realize just how much quality this watch is. Powered by the Cal. 281, it is Universal Geneve’s in-house movement and one of the finest and most complicated of the era.

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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