THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: UNIVERSAL GENEVE
MODEL: 124103
YEAR: 1949
CASE DIAMETER: 37.5mm
CASE MATERIAL: 18K ROSE GOLD
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND

Vintage Universal Genève's are some of our favourite watches here at Falco. Thanks to its recent acquisition by Breitling, the brand is finally regaining the attention it deserves. While the most popular UG models are undoubtedly the sports chronographs from the 1960s such as the Nina Rindt and the Eric Clapton, UG’s chronograph heritage stretches back over four decades. Amazingly, some of these gems from the UG catalogue can still be had at great prices (for now, at least).

The present example is a Uni-Compax (one complication) ref. 124103: the first ‘1’ denotes 18k gold, the ‘2’ indicates a chronograph, the '4' refers to the Cal. 285 movement, and the final two digits reference the case design. You’d be shocked to know this watch dates back to 1949, after 75 years, it almost looks as clean and beautiful as day one. The original non lume dial has darkening around the outer track and a gentle patina throughout the rest of the dial. You almost always see chips and loss of print but thankfully, this example has stood the test of time.