Why We Love It

There was a time in the not too distant past when one could acquire any number of perfectly proportioned, mid-century chronographs from Universal Genéve with relative ease. Available for a fraction of the price of their similarly designed contemporaries, these brilliantly designed timepieces were overlooked by collectors the world over. Fortunately or unfortunately, those days are behind us.

So what do you do when you absolutely must have that classic, mid-century aesthetic but are working with a less than stratospheric budget? You might consider going with a faithful recreation from the original brand itself - a piece that comes with all of the authenticity, heritage and character of the originals - but without the matching price tag.

Housed in a 36mm two-tone stainless steel and solid gold case, this Compax 1950 features a white dial with triple subsidiary registers and blued steel sub register and chronograph seconds hands. The gold Dauphine hands, indices, and applied 'U' logo stand in elegant relief to its softly patinated dial.

This particular example shows signs of wear and tear from loving use, including light polish and the loss of the enameling in the bezel. All watches, regardless of how rare and collectible they have become, were built to be used. It's clear that this Compax 1950 has been worn, used, and loved thoroughly. But these characteristics and particularities don't diminish the overall beauty of the classic Compax design, and keep this piece accessibly priced.

The watch as a whole posses all of the patination, correct components, and personality of its far less obtainable forefathers. If patina, story, and value weigh in heavily in your enthusiasm for collecting, you just hit the jackpot!

The Story

Universal Genéve is synonymous with classic chronographs.

In the last decade, the demand for their vintage models has risen sharply, with some examples making world record appearances on the auction circuits. Surely, Universal Genéve has secured its position as a staple of vintage collecting.

The 1940s to the 1960s were in many ways the golden years of chronograph production for Universal Genéve. The timepieces produced during this period (in particular the "" Compax and the "" Tri-Compax) have attracted the attention and admiration of collectors.

So in the 1990s, when Universal Genéve wanted to commemorate its centennial, they released a series of  chronographs espousing similar design language.