{"product_id":"universal-geneve-big-eye-compax-as03337","title":"Universal Genève 'Big Eye' Compax","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy we love it\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIt has often been said that if the quartz crisis had gone a little differently, we would be speaking of Universal Genève in the same terms as that of Patek Philippe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eUnfortunately in the version of the Matrix in which we find ourselves, UG did not survive. Fortunately for the collectors of the world, some of their watches did.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis piece is a Reference 884100\/01 and is known in the collector community as the 'Big Eye' due to its asymmetrical subregisters. Though produced with both black and white dial variants, there’s just something about how the black dial sets off the red accents found in the chronograph registers and those that bisect the dial - lovely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIntroduced in 1963 and only manufactured for two years, fewer than twenty \"Big Eyes\" have surfaced in the commercial market in recent years. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis particular example is in exceptional condition. With its 36.5mm stainless steel case, Valjoux 23-based Universal Genève movement, and dial in the always-attractive \"reverse panda\" configuration, the \"Big Eye\" has the makings of a classic mid-century chronograph—as handsome as it is rare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Story\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eUniversal Genève, although relatively unknown outside collector circles, was responsible for some of our favorite timepieces from the mid-20th century. From the purpose-driven to the ornate, Universal Genève breathed beauty and craftsmanship into every piece they produced. While there has been some contemporary stirring from the brand (they released a manually-wound limited edition Compax at Basel World in 2009), it's Universal Genève's sumptuous vintage stylings that have the Big Apple all abuzz.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAnd if there's one thing the manufacture excelled at, it was making chronographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe brand developed its first pocket chronographs in the last decade of the 19th century. Later, when watches transitioned to the wrist, the manufacture brought out its first wrist chronograph in the waning years of the First World War. Known for their beauty, both inside and out, these early chronographs had a single pusher which operated the chronograph function.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHowever, in the 1930s Universal Genève would change the horological landscape completely with the introduction of the Compur in 1934.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis was the same year that another manufacture, Breitling, presented a two button chronograph at the Basel Fair. Before then, virtually all mass production chronographs were operated by a single pusher. Breitling's design was a game-changer, and many brands—such as Universal Genève—soon followed. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eUniversal Genève produced the Compur until the Compax line was launched in the 1940s. An instant hit, the Compax took off, both in popularity and in actual fact. It attracted the attention and admiration of many of Europe's air forces and became regular kit for aviators.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWhile the early variations of Compax, with their elegant precious metal cases, are a study in refinement, it’s the later sportier variants from the 1960s that have more recently captured the imaginations of collectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Universal Geneve","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29526096707671,"sku":null,"price":36750.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0809\/1255\/products\/cult_9.jpg?v=1583509586","url":"https:\/\/www.analogshift.com\/products\/universal-geneve-big-eye-compax-as03337","provider":"Analog:Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}