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Universal Genève Uni-Compax Chrono 224100 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Universal Genève Uni-Compax Chrono 224100

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Universal Genève (maker)
Date
c. 1948
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 35 mm
Stock no.
Product 10316160467220
Credit line
Dealer listing, Collectors Corner NY (product 10316160467220)
Catalogue title (original)
Universal Genève Uni-Compax Chrono 224100 (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York (stock number Product 10316160467220), this is a wristwatch by Universal Genève, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1948. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. 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 — Collectors Corner NY

Universal Genève were one of the many brands to give way to the quartz crisis but their quality and rich history have kept vintage watch collectors attention decades later. Arguably best known for their Compax chronographs - notably worn by Eric Clapton and Nina Rindt as well as their Polerouter - a Gérald Genta design at the young age of just 23, vintage Universal Genève watches saw notable usage as tools and on the wrists of celebrated figures. Today, Breitling's acquisition and revival of the brand in '23 is bringing back more attention to the deeper cut brand that vintage enthusiasts love so much. On offer is a Uni-Compax chronograph circa 1948 cased in steel. It features a 35mm case which houses a manually wound cal. 285. The two-register dial has radium Arabic indices, complimented by blued hands. This example has remained in nice vintage condition, especially considering its age. The dial has a service mark between 5 & 6 o-clock. This is common to see and it still presents with great character. The case remains strong with evenly proportioned lugs and sharp edges. Notably, the caseback retails its ref. and serial number which are clearly legible and desirable for any vintage UG collector. For anyone looking for a charming vintage chronograph that tells a story, this piece hits all the right notes.

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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