Universal Genève Ultra Slim 'Kanji' Dress Watch, 1970s

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

Universal Genève is a true vintage watch nerd's type of brand, and we're happy to see it's been growing in popularity and getting the recognition we feel it deserves. Dating back to 1894, Universal earned its reputation by building beautiful watches powered by their innovative in-house movements, rather than using off-the-shelf parts like many of their Swiss counterparts. They were an early pioneer of chronographs with their Compax line in the 30's and 40's, brought us the timeless Polerouter in the 1950's, and put the world's thinnest automatic movement into the stunning White Shadow in the 1960's. That's quite a track record, but there is so much more to UG than just those models: Indeed, some of their simple field and dress watches offer incredible value and are beautiful to behold, to boot. Take this simple, gold-plated dress piece, for example: It features an incredible Kanji dial in place of a more standard Arabic or Roman example, adding interest that’s difficult to find in your average modern timepiece. While it’s thin enough to slip easily under a cuff and remain inconspicuous, this delightful, small variation is enough to capture the attention of even the most jaded horological aficionado. This particular watch from the 1970s is housed in a 31mm yellow gold-plated case with a snapback, a signed crown, and an acrylic crystal. It features a satin champagne dial with printed Kanji indices and a matching feuille handset. Powered by the manually wound Universal Genève Calibre 42 movement, it comes paired to a lovely green calf leather strap with s gold plated pin buckle. Try it on for size!