Universal Genève Polerouter Date 'Gray slate dial'

Now, everyone knows the story of this watch but here’s a reminder, just in case: To shortcut the flights from Europe to California (USA) by some thousand kilometers, the airline SAS (Scandinavian Airline System) opened new routes over the North Pole in the 1950s. All crews on these flights had to take part in a special training at the "SAS's Arctic Flight School". The Swiss watch manufacturer Universal Genève provided the crews with automatic precision wrist-watches that are resistant against the strong magnetic field of the polar region. They became the official chronometers of SAS. This design was commended to 23 year old Gerald Genta who also was the same designer of the legendary Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus. Soon this Polerouters, specially the Date versions, became a sought after for collectors all around the world.

This particular early 1960s example has a beautiful, mint and extremely rare gray slate/olive green dial that changes color depending on light, from a metallic gray in the shadow to a bright olive when the sun hits it. This wonderful dial has perfect tritium lume dots that match perfectly with that on the original hands. This late ‘twisted-lugs’ Genta design version came with this color on the dial from factory but it is extremely rare to find one and even more to find it in this condition. This is, definitely, one of the grails of the Polerouter family.

 

Applied logo and a beautiful minute counter inner silver ring are some of the other features that compose this gorgeous dial. The 36mm, excluding the original UG signed small crown, all stainless steel case remains sharp and unpolished. Also a very difficult thing to see on these. The famous twisted lugs are UG’s sign of character adding so much value to the piece. It has the original acrylic crystal with the trapezoidal date magnifier (same shape as the date window itself) that really enhances the lovely and original font with open 6 and 9 numerals. Again, a difficult feature to find on a Polerouter. The caseback has some marks due to normal wear but the logo and serial and reference numbers remain clearly visible as it is unpolished. Thing which is something very difficult and attractive for collectors.

 

It houses a Microrotor cal. 69 that is clean and running smooth, keeping excellent time as it has been fully serviced by our watchmaker.

 

It comes on its original 19mm extremely cool and seldom seen UG stainless steel bracelet for the USA market with PAT PEND engravings.

 

We’ve owned and sold more than 30 Polerouters, and we have the pleasure to say that offered here today is the most beautiful one we’ve ever put hands on.

 

Polerouters have seen a drastic increase in value over the past few years (and will keep doing so) and there’s no wonder why; history, design and quality. Don’t miss the opportunity to own an example that will stand out of the crowd because if you do, it will be gone forever.