If there’s one brand that remains near and dear to the heart of Hodinkee, it’s Universal Genève. In some ways, my own love of watches may not have flourished the way it did without the incredibly broad range of designs and concepts from Universal in that period. Simple chronographs, calendar chronographs, calendar watches, dress watches, oversized Aviator watches, and even convertible watches were all part of the Universal story. It just did SO many things back then, and when it was announced that the House of Brands (the parent company of Breitling, and now Gallet and Universal) would be re-launching it in full force, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. And I think it’s fair to say that many felt that way.
But Mr. Kern, who led the project along with a great team of young enthusiasts, knew they needed feedback from the long-standing group of collectors to ensure what they made hit all the right notes. So they assembled a group of advisers to give feedback along the way. The group included Mr. Fred Mandelbaum, Mr. Eric Wind, myself, Mr. Alessandro Fanciulli (Mr. A), Mr. Auro Montanari, and many more die-hard Universal lovers. You can see some photos of one of our meet-ups right here, dating back more than two years ago.
The advisory board would give notes, and the internal team would process them accordingly – mostly in design details. And in the end, Universal Genève was fully reborn with an astonishingly wide range of watches just last month in Geneva. It includes two different-sized Polerouters (here’s the larger version with a date), a few variants of the ever epic Compax – including an oversized Disco-Volante, some incredible ladies’ pieces, and the beautifully stylish Cabriolet. In other words, Universal came back as a fully realized brand, not just a single watch. And when I saw the product for the first time, I simply couldn’t believe the quality of it. I think many of you saw that when you watched this video a few weeks back.
Universal today is about taking the design cues and heritage of the past, modernizing them, and adding high-end finishes and construction. Are the prices higher than most vintage pieces? Sure, but the product is better, and for the first time in our lifetime, you can make a Universal Genève truly yours by becoming its first owner. The moment I saw how good the product was in Geneva last month, I pushed with the powers that be at Watches of Switzerland (our parent company) to find a way to give our community early access to it. Not because Hodinkee itself would get anything from it, but because I felt the Hodinkee audience deserved the chance to be the first to get its hands on it. And I’m proud to say that as of today, for the next three weeks, you can reserve the entire range of the new Universal Genève watches directly through the Hodinkee App or via Watches of Switzerland.
The Polerouters will deliver this fall, and the chronographs after that, but if you place your order over the next few weeks, you will be guaranteed to get your watch first, anywhere in the world. If you want to wait and see them in person, or have zero interest in the relaunched Universal, that’s fine too. But considering the rebirth of a brand like Universal happens once in a lifetime for a watch lover, we wanted to give our dedicated followers that chance to be among the first to receive theirs. This isn’t “Hodinkee going back into e-commerce” or some top secret sponsored post, it’s just a genuinely cool opportunity for Universal lovers that costs the rest of the community nothing at all, but one that I feel is a real value add for the folks that have loved and supported Universal since day one.
You can browse the full collection right here, both online and in the Hodinkee app. Side note, did you notice that Universal has launched completely new and beautiful bracelets at the same time? My favorite of the group? I LOVE this rose gold Polerouter on the gold brick bracelet with the hardstone dial. Of course, the big boy Compax, too.
Enjoy it, this opportunity is the first to receive one of the modern Universals, which lasts for the next three weeks, and you’ll be updated on your order all along the way once details are confirmed. I can’t wait to see these out in the wild.
