Universal Genève Teases its New Collection with Polerouter SAS Tribute Editions

Around this time last year, Partners Group Holding announced the acquisition of historic Swiss watch brand Universal Genève. The private equity company, which also owns a majority stake in Breitling, will relaunch the brand properly in 2025 under the care of Georges Kern, and this week, we’re getting our first look at what to expect from the “new” Universal with the reveal of three new Polerouter SAS tribute watches. If you know anything about Kern, you know he loves a good story, and this launch doesn’t disappoint. November 15th marks the 70th anniversary of the first commercial Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) flight over the north pole in 1954; on the wrists of its pilots were anti-magnetic Universal Genève Poelrouter watches (originally called "Polarouter"), which launched to coincide with that momentous occasion in aviation history. 

Universal Genève leveraged those first SAS flights over the pole to tout the robustness of its new watch, heavily incorporating pilot and aviation imagery into adverts for the watch. It’s a theme that resonates deeply with what we see from the likes of Kern and Breilting these days. The Polerouter itself, however, offered a unique and subtle design that has transcended its era and which holds an important place in history for enthusiasts. The Polerouter was designed by a 23-year-old Gerald Genta, who would years later give the watch world two of its icons, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus. While the Polerouter appears simple at a glance, it is actually quite complex in nature. The multi-part case had layers, including a tension ring with hour markers fixed to the glass itself, the serene dial seemingly left to float underneath. The 35mm case used a twisted lug design that brought some mid-century flair to the table. 

The design of the Polerouter is easily placeable to its era, though it never feels old. This is a watch that has held up remarkably well, and its collectibility has hardly waned over the generations as a result. It’s a recognizable starting point to relaunch the brand into a modern market, and I suspect a watch that will drum up quite a bit of demand in the process. However, getting your hands on one of these will be decidedly less straightforward. More on that in a moment. 

The new Polerouter being shown today remains true to the spirit of the original, with modern updates brought in service to establishing a Universe Genève design language we can look forward to in the future. The new watches use a period-correct 35mm case which follows the original formula quite closely, right down to the shape of the lug first seen on the reference SAS 20217-6. The dial is an elevated take on the original, featuring a guillochéd rehaut framing a dial bearing an updated Universal Genève logo, and the SAS markings unique to the original references. The broad, faceted hands are rhodium-plated, and mirror the design of the original, driving home the mid-50’s vibe in the process.

 Inside, Universal Genève is using an historic micro-rotor Caliber 1-69 from the 1960s. This is a movement that was used by the brand until 1970, celebrated for its use of a ball bearing micro-rotor to achieve a very thin construction, standing just 4.7mm tall. This allows for the Polerouter to measure just under 10mm in total thickness, and brings a bit of the history it's looking to capture right into the mix. The caseback is closed, however, and boasts an engraving marking the historic SAS flights over the pole in 1954. 

Universal Genève has revealed a trio of Polerouter configurations: the Reference JU6910 in white gold; the Reference RU6910 in red gold; and the Reference AU6910 in steel. The JU6910 uses a stunning white-gold bracelet inspired by a historic UG design, and handcrafted by Laurent Jolliet. This reference will be auctioned at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo in May of 2025, to benefit CFP Arts in Geneva. As for the RE6910 and AU6910 — well, they are destined for the Universal Genève Archive, and will not be commercially available. This trio of watches is literally that, and only one is destined for the general public via auction.

More broadly speaking, these new watches offer a first glimpse at what we can expect from a Universal Genève reborn, and if first indications mean anything, I like where this seems to be heading. These watches have clearly been handled with care, and a great respect to the original formula. This is exactly the kind of treatment I’d love to see broadly applied to references like the ‘Nina Rindt’ Compax and on up to the more complicated Tri-Compax models. Truly modern interpretations would be welcome, but holding true to the original identity of the brand is of great importance to establish a new foundation.