When I was first discovering vintage watches, there were a few watches that caught my eye. The one you may know about is the Memosail yacht timer which was my first vintage watch purchase. The other was the Universal Genève Tri-Compax chronograph.

If you are unfamiliar with Universal Genève, they are a Swiss watch company founded in 1894 based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland located in the french speaking part of Switzerland. They create many different types of watches and claim to have made the first chronographic wristwatch. They are very well known for the Polerouter, a venture they were involved in with the well-known Gerald Genta who created the iconic design for many watches such as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

The Tri-Compax was manufactured between 1944 and 1949 featuring three complications - the moon-phase indication, calendar and chronograph. The movements that were used to power these beautiful watches were the Ebauches based Universal Genève caliber 481, 287 and 281. The watch features rectangular pushers which are perfectly representatives of vintage chronographs from this era.

Configuring a dial to not be overcrowded or messy which three complications is a hard task but Universal Genève managed to do this flawlessly which is one of the reasons I love the watch so much. The lines of the dial are uninterrupted and still extremely legible. The watch comes in so many variations - from different case metals to dial colours and sizes. It truly allows for self expression.

The main reason I love this watch so much is the watch it has aged. The Tri-Compax white dials fade to a delicate cream which accentuates the complications of the dial. The cases sometimes oxidize leaving a blue hue as well. The Tri-Compax is also relatively speaking, uncommon in great condition so it’s always a pleasure to see when you get the chance.

Enjoy!