The Polerouter stands as a beacon of what is consider the golden age of watch design. In recent years, it has garnered a cult following, and with the resurgence of vintage designs and revivals of long-dormant watch brands.
The People’s Dress Watch First introduced in the mid-1950s, the Universal Genève Polerouter boasts several qualities that make it an iconic timepiece. It’s worth noting that the Polerouter was the brainchild of a young designer named Gérald Genta. Yes, the very same Gérald Genta who later went on to craft legendary watches such as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Patek Philippe Nautilus, and IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur. Remarkably, Genta was only in his twenties when he penned the design for the Polerouter, a watch that marked his entry into the world of horology.
Unlike the Royal Oak, Nautilus, or Ingenieur, the Polerouter was within reach for the middle class, and it still is today. The Polerouter, originally spelled “Polarouter,” was conceived to meet the needs of Scandinavian Airlines pilots navigating the Arctic routes. These “Polar Routes” had only recently become accessible thanks to advances in aviation technology. To keep up with these changing times, the Polerouter was engineered to be resistant to magnetism, temperature fluctuations, and altitude changes.
However, the Polerouter quickly transcended its intended pilot’s watch role. Its clean and modern design, considered avant-garde for its time, coupled with innovative movement technology, made it a hit with watch enthusiasts. While initially equipped with a bumper movement, Universal Genève later upgraded it to the Universal 215. This marked Universal Genève’s inaugural micro-rotor automatic caliber, featuring an impressive almost-60-hour power reserve and an 18,000 vibrations per hour frequency. Even though the movement is concealed by a solid case back, it exudes beauty, adorned with Côtes de Genève finishing and gold plating on the rotor. The 215 was succeeded by the 218 and, curiously, by the 68 and 69 calibers in 1962.
A “Custom” Mass-Produced Timepiece Polerouters were incredibly popular watches and were priced similarly to competitors like the Rolex Explorer. However, unlike Rolex, which kept the Explorer relatively unaltered, Universal Genève catered to the public’s demands. During over a decade of production, the Polerouter came in various guises, from elegant gold dress watches to utilitarian divers. The multitude of Polerouter variations adds to the allure of collecting them, although it also makes it a daunting task. The ’50s and ’60s marked Universal Genève’s heyday, and the Polerouter was its crown jewel.
The Polerouter line continued until 1969 and later re-emerged in the ’70s and ’80s as quartz models. However, the 1969 edition of the Polerouter, as we know it today, marked the end of an era for this iconic watch and was the harbinger of the Quartz Crisis, a catastrophic period for Universal Genève and numerous other watchmakers. Fortunately, the quartz madness has waned, and these watches have found their niche. With mechanical watches enjoying a renaissance, coupled with a renewed focus on vintage design, the time is ripe for the faithful revival of the Polerouter.
