Universal Genève Polerouter Date Ref.869114/08

— The watch that started the race to go thin —

Universal Genève was already famous for chronographs when the Polerouter brought it a second kind of renown. It appeared in 1954, made to mark the opening of Scandinavian Airlines' service to the United States, and took its name from the polar route those flights followed over the North Pole. The first pet name was "Polarrouter"; it became "Polerouter" almost immediately.

Born from a new air route, and one of the watches that pushed the whole industry towards slimness. Inside is calibre 1-69, the movement that solved the micro-rotor's weakness in winding efficiency, behind a distinctive trapezoidal date window and a beautifully drawn case.

— The micro-rotor calibre 1-69 —

This example carries UG's own calibre 1-69, the micro-rotor that became the maker's signature once its winding efficiency had been improved. The date aperture is trapezoidal rather than rectangular — a small sign of how carefully the design was considered.