Famed for their Tri Compax and Polerouter models, this microrotor solid gold men’s Universal Geneve watch is simple but quality.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
From the hallmark inside the case back we can see it was assayed in 1971, but the engraving on the outside of the case shows it was given as a long service award in 1973 after working at Elliott Burdett Ltd for 36 years.
CONDITION
Elliott Burdett Ltd made heavy duty grinders, but it is under than nicely engraved case back where this watch gets more interesting. For a start the case back unscrews – this is uncommon on solid gold watches as you have to make the case back thicker and stronger, and when using precious metals this makes the watch more expensive to make. Once open you see the movement is the 28 jewel Universal Geneve 218-9, with microrotor for the automatic winding. Microrotors allow the movement to be slimmer than simply bolting a spinning weight on the back of a movement, but they are not commonly seen. The most modern watch we have had with a microrotor was a Patek Philippe. The movement is nicely finished and all working well. The dial is clean, and the hands straight. The case is made by DS&S – David Shackman and Sons – who made cases for some of the finest brands when import duty on complete watches was prohibitively high. And Universal Geneve were a very good brand – plenty of their vintage watches fetch over £20,000. The case does have numerous marks on both sides – a jeweller could polish these off but by doing so you would lose part of the watch’s history and that is irreversible. The crown is original and signed, but has lost its gold plating. The leather strap is new, and could be swapped for a different colour or style if preferred.
This watch will be supplied with our branded presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.
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 35.8 mm
Width without crown 33.9 mm
Between lugs 18 mm
Lug to lug length 40.4 mm
Case Thickness 10.1 mm
All sizes are approximate.
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.
