# Vintage universal geneve help



## Variety (Nov 26, 2020)

Can anyone can tell me something more about this watch,

The watch is universal geneve numbers on the back are 785888 12420 it seems that is compur but not shure.

Strangely watch have britix dial but everything else is universal geneve, mechanism working but whenever I on biggest second hand it started to move then stops after half minute and it seems that small hand for minutes doesn't work everything else works.Generaly watch works!





















What it means for mechanism is it broke, what to do with this watch, is this watch worthy of anithing?


----------



## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

Variety said:


> What it means for mechanism is it broke, what to do with this watch, is this watch worthy of anithing?


 To me this is a bit of a puzzle. It's a Universal Geneve cal 285 movement, which you can easily Google and read up about. It also has a UG case back and I assume case.

I can't find any connection between UG and Britix Watch Co, who I think used Landeron movements in their chronographs. The only explanation I can think of is this isn't the original dial.

If you like the watch and don't intend to sell it then it may be worth getting a good watchmaker to service it, but you may only be able to sell it for parts.

However, someone may come with more knowledge that proves me wrong.


----------



## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

Just to add the obvious ...the back is 18 carat solid gold ...wow ...have a look at tthe upper case for a hallmark or stamp saying 18k possibly between the lugs or on the underside of the lugs....


----------



## Variety (Nov 26, 2020)

bridgeman said:


> Just to add the obvious ...the back is 18 carat solid gold ...wow ...have a look at tthe upper case for a hallmark or stamp saying 18k possibly between the lugs or on the underside of the lugs....


 There is no stamp on lugs but the whole case is from universal geneve looking by the pictures online, it looks exactly like some compurs or compax selling online probably whole case is in gold I hope



spinynorman said:


> To me this is a bit of a puzzle. It's a Universal Geneve cal 285 movement, which you can easily Google and read up about. It also has a UG case back and I assume case.
> 
> I can't find any connection between UG and Britix Watch Co, who I think used Landeron movements in their chronographs. The only explanation I can think of is this isn't the original dial.
> 
> ...


 Unfortunately everything is universal geneve except dial, so it seems that somebody put britix dial for whatever reason, I tried to find on internet by serials but I only find there is one auction and one store selling watch with numbers 12420 it seems it is compur but not sure, both watches are from 37 to 41,


----------



## Badman67 (Aug 12, 2018)

Looks fantastic! Be nice to see it restored even with wrong dial.


----------



## Variety (Nov 26, 2020)

Badman67 said:


> Looks fantastic! Be nice to see it restored even with wrong dial.


 Thank you, do you know something more about this watch? What I know for now that it has 285 movment, it has universal geneve back, it seems that case is also UG but not sure, hands looks ug but again not sure but I'm sure that lower part of biggest hand is broken, and movment looks really nice like new no rust nothing broken, but needs service, this watch are unworn for decades


----------



## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

Variety said:


> Thank you, do you know something more about this watch? What I know for now that it has 285 movment, it has universal geneve back, it seems that case is also UG but not sure, hands looks ug but again not sure but I'm sure that lower part of biggest hand is broken, and movment looks really nice like new no rust nothing broken, but needs service, this watch are unworn for decades


 I think the hands are most likely UG, probably from the original watch, because they would have to fit the movement. Also, on a Landeron chronograph like the Britix, the right hand sub-dial hand would have an arrow on it, like this.










(Pic from farfo.com)


----------



## Variety (Nov 26, 2020)

spinynorman said:


> I think the hands are most likely UG, probably from the original watch, because they would have to fit the movement. Also, on a Landeron chronograph like the Britix, the right hand sub-dial hand would have an arrow on it, like this.
> 
> 
> 
> (Pic from farfo.com)


 What you say it sounds logical that hands are probably ug because they need to fit on this movment, they looks very like some similar ug I saw on internet they are not completely black they have some purple blue colors when you look at them on light,

Do universal geneve case puts any stamp on their cases because I only see ug logo on back but nothing on case itself?


----------



## marksgtv (Dec 16, 2020)

Theirs some really beautiful, iconic Universal Geneve watches. Google Universal Geneve with Nina Rindt, Formula 1 driver Jochen's wife. Also Eric Clapton.


----------

