Passions Watch Exchange

About This Watch

Vintage. No box or papers and a Passions box will be given to you.

We have just acquired this lovely watch from a collector. Watch has general wear on the gold case and nothing too major. The back cover snaps tightly and gold plated crown shows severe wear over time with some wear on the edges of the square pushers that are consistent with it's age due to constant winding of the crown as this is a manual winding. A new YG plated crown can be found but may not match as well.

The dial is original and aged but highly legible while the movement sparkles as new. All functions work as they should and the month is a manual push set. This small 32mm version is very rare and we can't find a second example on the web so far as most were much larger. Dial, case, movement signed and stamped throughout.

Founded in 1894. The Universal Geneve Tri-Compax was first released at the 1944 Basel Watch Fair to commemorate the brand's fiftieth anniversary. A common misconception is that the "Tri" refers to the three subdials when instead it refers to the three complications: moonphase, calendar and chronograph. The calibers used throughout the Tri-Compax line were UG Caliber 481, 287 and 281 which were supplied from Ebauches Martel and customized by Universal Geneve. These calibers would be used throughout the lifespan of the Tri-Compax with the difference sized movements allowing for a variety of case sizes ranging from 34.5mm to 39mm. 

Earlier models from the 1940's typically used the larger Caliber 287 (33.8mm) or 481 (32.7mm) however there were cases of the smaller gold-plated 281 (28.1mm) being used in some models of that period. Watches that were imported to the United States through the Henri Stern Watch Agency will have HOX stamped on the movement.

An excellent article on Tri Compax can be found here.

The Universal Genève Tri-Compax has always been a highly regarded model by collectors and the high complications represents the pinnacle of post-World War II wristwatch era, and over the last few years, collector interest has skyrocketed.

The Tri-Compax first debuted at Baselworld in 1944 and was in production until the 1980s. There are dozens of versions of this watch, but as they have become more and more widely sought by collectors, examples in really first-class condition have become exponentially hard to find. The name, Tri-Compax, refers to the three complications: Moon-phase, chronograph and complete calendar.

Six months warranty by us and this watch has been around for over 70yrs.