A True Vintage Watch Icon Just Made an Unexpected Return

At the tail end of last year, the watch industry was hit with a bombshell when the owners of Breitling revealed they had acquired Universal Genève, arguably the greatest lost watch brand and a longtime vintage favorite, with plans to resurrect the company.

The initial details of the brand revival were scant. We knew the reborn Universal Genève would be positioned above Breitling in the market, we knew it would include new takes on some of the brand’s iconic models and movements, and we knew it would be at least a couple of years before we saw any new Universal Genève watches.

A couple of weeks ago, we got our first major update in nearly a year when Universal Genève launched a new website and social media accounts. The brand also announced a relaunch date of 2026.

I had assumed that would be the last we’d hear from Universal Genève for some time, but the brand just shocked the world once again by announcing the return of its most iconic watch, the Polerouter.

Universal Genève

An Incredible Watch for an Incredible Journey

Universal Genève has announced the return of the Polerouter, but not in the way you might have hoped for. Instead of relaunching the icon as a new regular model, the brand has created three vintage-inspired piece uniques as a tribute to the 70th anniversary of the original Polerouter and the event that spurred its creation: the first commercial flight taken over the North Pole.

The historic flight took place on November 15, 1954, when SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) established a polar route between Los Angeles and Copenhagen. In the lead-up to the journey, SAS asked Universal Genève to create a watch that could withstand the extreme elements their pilots would encounter on the route.

The watch needed to be water-resistant, anti-magnetic, resistant to shocks and able to withstand the extreme temperatures found in the skies above the North Pole. For the watch’s design, Universal Genève turned to a 23-year-old up-and-coming watch designer named Gérald Genta. Yeah, that guy.

Universal Genève

The Polarouter, as it was initially called, became Genta’s first hit design. (The name was soon changed to Polerouter.) Its standout feature was a two-part dial that incorporated a tension ring with hour markers attached to the crystal above a curved dial that secured the movement. The clever design was integral to the watch’s necessary shock resistance and had the added benefit of giving the dial a unique three-dimensional appearance.

Genta also designed the case to have twisted lugs, a detail most often associated with Omega, as most Speedmaster and Seamaster models feature the same “lyre” lug style. But Omega didn’t use twisted lugs on any of its models until the 1960s, long after the Polerouter had helped popularize the style, which had existed since at least the 1940s.

The Polerouter Is Back

Universal Genève

For decades, the Polerouter has been a darling among vintage watch collectors, and it’s not difficult to see why. It’s a great-looking watch with an adventurous 1950s backstory that rivals Rolex’s famed sports models. On top of that, it was designed by friggin’ Genta, the G.O.A.T. watch designer.

Another aspect of vintage Polerouters that has made them a perennial favorite among collectors is their frequent use of microrotor movements. A few years into the Polerouter’s run, Universal Genève introduced the Microtor Caliber 1-69 in the late 1950s.

The thinnest automatic movement in the world at the time, the movement introduced the concept of a microrotor: a compact oscillating mass that fits in between a movement’s bridges rather than on top of them, shaving off precious millimeters from the movement’s thickness.

Universal Genève

For its new Polerouters, Universal Genève has combined vintage Microtor Caliber 1-69 movements with newly crafted cases based on Genta’s historic designs. The relaunched brand has made three watches — not three models, three watches — with two destined for the brand’s archives and the third set to be auctioned off for charity next year.

The two archive-bound pieces are both on leather straps, with one featuring a stainless steel case with a beige dial and the other boasting an 18k red gold case with the iconic black-and-white tuxedo dial, complete with red gold hands and rehaut. Both feature applied red gold logos on their dials depicting the new Universal Genève logo and vintage SAS logo.

The watch that will be auctioned features an 18k white gold case and a brilliant blue dial that mimics SAS’s signature color, but the real standout is the watch’s bracelet. It’s a handmade 18k white gold chain-link bracelet crafted by the only remaining master chain-maker in Switzerland, Laurent Jolliet. Its look is inspired by vintage Universal Genève designs, and the brand says it plans to utilize more chain-making in the future.

Universal Genève

All three versions of the Polerouter Tribute are water resistant, though the brand hasn’t revealed how water resistant, and all feature a caseback commemorating the 70th anniversary of SAS’s voyage over the North Pole. They also all boast diamond guilloché on their rehauts, a luxurious step up from the original watches.

The one watch that will be made available to the public — the white gold blue dial on the bracelet — will hit the auction block at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo in May of 2025, with proceeds benefitting CFP Arts in Geneva.

Given the insane anticipation among collectors for the relaunch of this brand, I expect the winning bid to be nothing short of astronomical.

Universal Genève

Universal Genève Polerouter SAS Tribute

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