The Universal Geneva Polerouter

There are indeed many icons in the world of vintage watches, and a place of honor is reserved for the Polerouter. It would take nearly sixty years after the founding of the manufacture by Numa Émile Descombes and Ulysse Georges Perret, two young watchmakers who settled in Le Locle, to discover this legendary model.

Known for their chronographs of all types (Uni-Compax, Aero-Compax, Tri-Compax..) or even the "Cabriolet", the first reversible watch before Jaeger LeCoultre and its Reverso or the Tank Basculante from Cartier, history truly remembers the collaboration between Universal Genève and the famous designer Gérald Genta.

As was often the case, watches of this era were essential tools for men to accomplish their tasks. The Polerouter was no exception; it was developed by the group to enable aviators of the time to conduct commercial flights over the North Pole. Indeed, air traffic had expanded significantly to meet the need for long-distance travel.

In fact, it was for the needs of Scandinavian Airlines System and its Copenhagen-Los Angeles flight on November 15, 1954, that the Polerouter made its maiden flight and its technical debut. It demonstrated its remarkable resistance to the strong magnetic fields at the North Pole. The operation was a resounding success, and the influence of the iconic watch designer propelled the Swiss timepiece to the top.

Indeed, this timepiece boasts a contemporary and assertive design for its time. In short, it features a sectored dial, contrasting polished and generously sized hour markers for excellent legibility, sharp dauphine hands, and a date window positioned at 3 o'clock that is not square but trapezoidal. True to Gérald Genta's legendary status, the seconds hand rotates around the junction of the two sectors, the central one smooth while the outer sector features grooves for reading the minutes. From an aesthetic point of view, nothing is left to chance, and the watch is a true success. This is hardly surprising given the pedigree of the Swiss designer.

As you read above, Universal Genève was a watch manufacturer ahead of its time. Initially powered by a bumper-spring automatic movement, the Polerouter would later become the home of a new type of movement, thanks to the use, starting in 1955, of a caliber equipped with a micro-rotor. Simply put, an automatic mechanical watch operates using an oscillating weight that rotates with the movements of the wrist, allowing the mainspring barrel to store the energy needed to power the watch. The Geneva-based manufacturer refined the process by creating a much smaller oscillating weight, thus enabling a more refined movement and a more compact watch.

It is with this technical success that Universal Genève nobly detaches itself from its reputation as chronograph manufacturers towards a manufacture capable of offering all types of watches of exceptional quality.

The Polerouter's story continued until 1968, giving rise to a plethora of variations such as the Polerouter Date, DeLuxe, Jet, Jet Date, Sub Genève, Sub Genève Date, and Railrouter. These models have generated immense interest among collectors, and numerous websites attempt to catalog all existing models in this range. Like any sought-after watch, the Polerouter's value has skyrocketed on the secondary market. This is hardly surprising: the watch is of exceptional quality, its history is compelling, and its design was created by one of the greatest watch designers of the 21st century.

However, and because every popular product has its drawbacks, there's a flip side. The PoleRouter's downside is that unscrupulous individuals try to exploit the lack of knowledge among amateur collectors by selling them modified timepieces at exorbitant prices. Many watches have repainted dials, sometimes with misaligned lettering.

To learn more and avoid being ripped off, we recommend Adam “ @hamblar ”’s excellent article on his blog: How to spot a repainted Polerouter dial.

If you've been paying close attention and truly wish to acquire this watch steeped in history, keep a close eye on the Seconde Vintage website and don't hesitate to consult various online encyclopedias on the subject. Whether it's forums or discussions among enthusiasts, you can often find answers to your questions. We hope you enjoyed discovering this legendary watch and its history, and please subscribe to our newsletter to receive our weekly article!