I have always long for an Universal Geneve Tri-Compax even though my main focus in watch collection has not been on the Universal Geneve watches. Nevertheless, the Universal Geneve vintage watches has its own unique positioning and once in a while one can find some very unique Universal Geneve watches.
The Universal Genève Tri-Compax is one of the brand's most well respected models. For a company
that marketed themselves as the “World’s largest maker of chronograph watches…”
well into the 1960s, the Tri-Compax was truly Universal Genève’s crowning
achievement, and a watch that was undeniably advanced for the time. It comes in stainless steel, gold filled, 1k gold and 18k gold.
The
Tri-Compax, in general, is very well known to collectors for being an
alternative to Patek Philippe, as both Universal Geneve and Patek were marketed
and sold by Henri Stern in the US.
For many years, the Tri-Compax has become
one of the most collectable vintage models out there, loved for its complicated
movement. It features a chronograph, a triple calendar and a moon phase, laid
out in four subdials on the dial and powered by the in-house Universal Geneve
Cal. 287 and 481.
At 12 o’clock, It has a beautiful moon-phase window at 12 o'clock with a red calendar hand for the 31-day indication around the register and with the moonphase
within. It also come with the chronograph minute and hour counter and running seconds
beneath. Two apertures at 2 and 10 o’clock display the month and day
respectively and it is topped off with a tachymeter scale.
The Tri-Compax model was officially launched in 1944, when it was shown at Baselworld to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. Considered tool watches in their day, these models gave the wearer calendar functions along with a chronograph to time anything up to 12 hours long. The hand wind movement inside is Universal Genève's column-wheel 17njewels, 18000A/h,44 hours power reserve caliber 481.
For ease of setting the calendar, the three corrector buttons are placed on the band of the case. The size is 34.5mm.
The reference 12264 example is an earlier example of the Tri-Compax, a model that Universal kept in the catalog in some form through the 1960s. What made this precious is due to the use of precious gold, no pun intended. It has a 3 body 18k rose gold case with snap-on case back from case maker Marcel Pugin SA. The reference 12264, particularly in rose gold, is considered a rarer and more sought-after example of the Tri-Compax.
Condition is normally overall pretty rough for these earlier Tri-Compax models. While this piece was after all considered as a sports watch in its day, without a water-resistant case and the utilitarian nature of the design, many examples of this watch dial can become quite tropical. With an attractive patina to the dial and a strong case, this watch presents extremely well for its age.
A common misconception is that the “Tri” refers to the three sub-dials when instead it refers to the three complications: moon-phase, calendar and chronograph. It was considered a highly complicated watch as a triple calendar
chronograph--where day, date, and month, along with the shorter intervals of
time that comprise them, are all displayed on the dial. The calibers used throughout the Tri-Compax line were UG Caliber 481, 287 and 281 which were supplied from Ebauches Martel and customized by Universal Geneve.
The earliest iterations of the Tri-Compax, dating from the 1943, are an exercise in understated elegance and craftsmanship--and variety. All Tri-Compaxes from this period had rectangular pushers as above photo. Even within the same reference number there could be a panoply of dial and hand configurations. Those from the 1940s often featured luminescent Arabic numerals and hands for the steel series and raised markers for the gold editions.
There is one feature that differentiates the earlier Tri Compax with the later 1960s versions. If one peered closely at the moon-phase, one could often see the face of the man in the moon (a feature which did not appear in all 1940s Tri-Compaxes, and which Universal Genève phased out in the late 1940s before discontinuing it altogether in the 1950s).
When collecting the Universal Tri Compax watches, besides ensuring that all the functions are working, one needs to pay special attention to the originality of the dial as many have their dials repainted.
I was fortunate to be able to find this very early Tri Compax watch. Originally, I was hesitant as the dial has aged. However, on second look, the dial actually begins to appeal to me as it has the marks of time and has turned into a nice bronze colour. Moreover, the watch is in solid 18k rose gold and it will not have the problem of corrosion.
Getting the watch has brought back the joy in vintage watch collection as it is not about the resale values but the pure joy of finding these hidden treasures among the many watches available. Usually, such watches do not appear in the market often, which made it a great joy in finding! Moreover, since the watch is already more than 80 years and have gone through many hands, I have decided to send it for thorough servicing so that the watch can continue to last for another 100 years...
It has nice tapered lugs design
My watch has been thoroughly serviced by KK Sifu and he has also changed a nice strap which made the watch very elegant and noble.
Besides the reference nos 12264, it has 12285, 12552, 12551, 12295, 12296, 18655 etc
About a year ago, Georges Kern, also known as the CEO of Breitling, made a resounding announcement for the watch community; the acquisition of historic brand Universal Genève and its planned return as a watchmaker in 2026. Will we see a return of the Universal Geneve in a big wave?
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