Universal Genève

For sale is a Swiss Made Universal Genève Polerouter, which can be dated back to the 1950's. This watch has slowly but surely gathered a cult following, the most desirable one being the version with the 138 SS "bumper movement". It was introduced by Universal Genève in 1948, first as caliber 138 with a subsidiary second and then with a central second as caliber 138 SS. The movement was replaced by the Microtor movement after approximately one year of production. This makes the bumper version much more rare: it features a rotor that cannot turn a full 360° to wind the watch, but rather "bumps" into two springs on either side of its 315° rotation. Hence, the term "bumper". A side effect of this movement is its lovely soft chime every time the rotor hits the springs.

The stainless steel case was partly designed by Gerald Genta at the age of 23. It features stunning double curved lugs, which is accentuated by the polished finish. The case of this particular example is still in gorgeous condition and, as far as we are aware, has not been polished after leaving the factory. All edges and curves are still nice and sharp, and were not ruined by trying to buff scratches out of the case. On the case back, the engravings have faded and are not entirely readable anymore: the reference number can still be identified as H 202XX X. Various sources on the internet lead us to believe that this particular example is a ref. 20217-4. The dial is a gorgeous deep black, with dauphine hands. The crown is signed with the Universal Genève logo.

The example sold here has been worn throughout its life, but is still in wonderful condition considering its age. You will find some marks on the case when closely examining the watch. The case appears to be unpolished and therefore in original shape. The glass is free of any coarse damage. Please study the pictures in this listing well: they show the watch in the condition that it is in, with no digital enhancements to make it look better than it is. We are sure that you like honesty, and so do we. Functionally, the watch has been serviced prior to sale and is working perfectly. It comes on a black RIOS 1931 strap with polished stainless steel buckle.

The watch comes without any paperwork or original box, but evidently we will provide a generic box to ship it to the buyer safe and sound. The item ships from Belgium and will be securely packaged and dispatched using the local postal service (BPost).