THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: UNIVERSAL GENEVE
MODEL: 20207
YEAR: 1951
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 35mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC

For a slender two years, UG produced the 20207—a sleek and simple dress watch with the lovely twisted lugs so reminiscent of Genta’s famed Polerouter. The 20207 is a millimetre smaller at 35mm and houses the iconic 138SS bumper movement. It must have felt so futuristic back in 1951 to wear a watch that didn’t need winding; most people were still coming around to the idea of wearing a wristwatch, let alone an automatic.

This black-dial variant with white-gold applied arrowhead markers still retains its radium lume plots, as do the dauphine hands. The original strap, buckle, and tag are with the watch and have never been worn beyond the occasional try-on.

We’ve had the movement serviced, as the oils were dry after lying still for all those years. It’s currently running at +11 s/d, 265 amps, with a beat error of 0.3.