Vintage Universal Geneve

[statsman]

Wow. Those are some high prices for decades old watches from a nearly vanished company. Please educate me...what is special about Universal Geneve?

[yessir69]

They were nothing special until Hodinkee started writing articles about them. Then they exploded. They're nice vintage watches, but nothing really that special.

[thomaspp]

They are beautiful watches no doubt and I am particularly fond of Ninas, but I agree that prices are a bit silly at the moment. This was all due to the Hype in the market over the last few years....

[FTX I]

I love vintage Universal. Classic designs, very elegant watches, great movements etc. They're getting the recognition they deserve.

http://www.polerouter.de/frameset-company.htm

http://www.polerouter.de/frameset-movements.htm

[willski]

Originally Posted by yessir69

They were nothing special until Hodinkee started writing articles about them. Then they exploded. They're nice vintage watches, but nothing really that special.

This.

[regnant]

My father loves them, I handled one of vintage models too. It didn't impress me but appreciated its finesse and finish.
If Hodinkee made them popular they should highly talk about Valory Geneve too

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by yessir69

They were nothing special until Hodinkee started writing articles about them. Then they exploded. They're nice vintage watches, but nothing really that special.

Well, who bought a Panerai before Sly showed one?

[motoikkyu]

It's not 100% true that values are only due to recent internet hype. The Tri-Compax has always had a following, has always held its value fairly well. Yes, it is a manual wind, but a triple-date, moon-phase, three-register manual wind. At the time when 1601 DateJusts were selling routinely for $1100, an 18k Tri-Compax would still set you back at least $3500. The Tri-Compax was introduced in the 1940s. True story: many refugees who left Germany due to the unpleasantness left with Tri-Compaxes on their wrists, since they were forbidden to leave with cash.

[MILGAUSS88]

?????????????
I am with motoikkyu. 30 years ago, when I started, I would say the Tri-compax was second only to the Daytona in desirability. Followed by Breitling, Omega and the lowly Heuer, which was pretty much considered junk.
Now I would say that Universal is in line behind all four of those brands.
A quick search for Polerouters (Universals premier time only watch.) , on eBay, and it pretty much looks like they are bringing the same money that they did 5 years ago.

A few dealers asking stupid prices, does not a market make.

Originally Posted by statsman

Please educate me...what is special about Universal Geneve?

In my opinion, most of the Swiss watch companies, had very idenical quality in the 50's, 60's and 70's. It is just a matter of who has done better marketing since then that has helped determing collectibility. Omega, Longines, Tissot, Movado, Universal, Girard-Perregaux, Cyma,and others, their movement, dial, and case quality were all equal during this period.

[MILGAUSS88]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Well, who bought a Panerai before Sly showed one?

I was looking for a vintage Panerai starting in 1991, four years before Stallone purchased his first. Price guide listed its value at $2,000 at that time.

Unfortunately, I do not travel in the circles where these were available, and never found one, and now their price is out of reach. To this day, I have never seen an original model. (Original defined as a watch produced before the company was reorganized.)

[statsman]

Can you guys help with this? The 1948 Sugar Bowl watch on the far right...can you identify the Universal Geneve model?

https://www.ha.com/c/search-results....hiveTab-071515

The "Universal Geneve" name is at 6:00, unlike every vintage Universal watch I have seen, making me wonder if the jeweler that put the Sugar Bowl logo on also redid the logo location on the dial.

[FTX I]

Originally Posted by MILGAUSS88

In my opinion, most of the Swiss watch companies, had very idenical quality in the 50's, 60's and 70's. It is just a matter of who has done better marketing since then that has helped determing collectibility. Omega, Longines, Tissot, Movado, Universal, Girard-Perregaux, Cyma,and others, their movement, dial, and case quality were all equal during this period.

I agree 100%. I love all these brands including Seiko as well. Great vintage watches.

[motoikkyu]

I agree 90% about the state of Swiss timekeeping in the 50s/60s/70s EXCEPT my impression is that Omega had a very large following in the East, higher than (gasp) even Rolex: thus the large number of fake Constellations in the 60s and 70s. Many folks forget that JLC was a division of Longines, many years ago.

[MILGAUSS88]

Originally Posted by motoikkyu

my impression is that Omega had a very large following in the East, higher than (gasp) even Rolex:

Agree with that as well. I had many international friends in college. And that was what I heard as well. Only not just in Asia but Africa as well.

I will say that Rolex had the best cases. No one else was doing that type.of work. I would take the Omega movement first however.

[motoikkyu]

Yes, the Omega 751 is one of my favorite movements. Wow, smooth, accurate, day/date, really designed and engineered to the highest standards. Too bad they were competing with quartz.