Why We Love It
We love Polerouters. Simply put, they're refined and elegant with a rich history and brilliant design. And (for the time being, anyway), they offer a tremendous value proposition in the vintage market.
While it's the steel cased iterations of the Polerouter that are most popular, Universal Geneve also produced them in a variety of casing materials, including yellow and rose gold. This particular example features a yellow gold capped case, replete with Genta's brilliant twisted lug design. Its quadrant dial is quite stunning, with a nearly perfect deep black glossy finish that will make you forget its age, and richly patinated indices match its dauphine handset, making for an absolutely lovely package.
This is a stunning and accessibly priced entrance point to the world of Universal Geneve - and to the Polerouter!
The Story
Most of us, even the most diehard collectors, know only one watch designer by name: Gerald Genta.
The man behind the AP Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the IWC Ingenieur, Genta changed the watch industry with his luxury stainless steel sports watches with sharp 70s lines and his characteristic integrated bracelet design. But before he could pioneer haute horology, he had cut his teeth on a more approachable timepiece; the Universal Genève Polerouter.
The Polerouter was Genta's first watch design brought to market, penned by the young Swiss designer in his early 20s. The watch was a sales success and propelled Genta’s career forward (allowing for the greats such as the Royal Oak and the Nautilus.) The first Polerouter was released in 1954 (and originally called the POLARouter) to celebrate and promote Scandinavian Airlines’ Royal Viking polar flights between New York City, Los Angeles and Europe. The flights forged a new route over the North Pole, reducing flight times between the two continents. Flying over the North Pole presented a unique set of challenges for a watch, and the Polerouter was designed to be highly resistant to magnetic fields (in addition to the usual shock and water resistance) so as to maintain accuracy during the trip.
