An early Universal Geneve Polerouter, fitted with the bumper automatic movement, is an increasingly rare watch to find.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
From the serial number on the case back we can accurately date this watch to being made in 1955. The Polarouter was introduced in 1954 and changed name to Polerouter in 1955, and switch to the microrotor movement in 1955 too.
CONDITION
Scandinavian Airways (SAS) wanted to route flights over Greenland to reduce the time of trans Atlantic routes, but the issue was that the North Pole can mess with instrumentation. Universal Geneve made an watch that resisted those magnetic forces, and gave a young designer called Gerald Genta his first commission to style the watch. With that combination it was an instant success.
Polerouters have increased in price a lot in recent years, as collectors buy them and don’t often sell them. The vast majority will be the later micro rotors, often with date, but you do not find the bumper models too often. Add to that the gold capped case is rarer than the stainless steel one, and we couldn’t leave this one without buying it. The crown is not the original, but the dial looks to be original (complete with some patina, as they often do have). The 138SS movement is working well and the case has nice bombe turned lugs that some of the much later watches lost (they tend to be cheaper). The Watch Gecko ruby red leather strap is new, and could be swapped for a different colour if preferred.
This watch will be supplied with our branded presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.
This watch has been checked against the Watch Register and has not been reported as lost, stolen or implicated in fraud, and a copy of that certificate will also be included.
Please see the HD video for more detail. All photos and videos are part of the description and are of the actual watch unless mentioned. We do not photoshop any pictures, and the images are copyright of birthyearwatches.com and should not be used without permission.
SIZE
Width with crown 37.8 mm
Width without crown 35.0 mm
Between lugs 19 mm
Lug to lug length 45.2 mm
Case Thickness 11.7 mm
All sizes are approximate. The watch is photographed on a wrist of 190mm/7.5 inches.
Included with this watch is a 3 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us. Payment can be made by most credit or debit cards, bank transfer or PayPal.
From 1st September 2021 we will be planting a tree for every watch we sell, working with the International Tree Foundation (Est 1922) to make this business positive on carbon. By buying anything pre owned you are effectively reusing what already exists, but this takes it further and makes us feel good.