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Universal Tri Compax

12251

1945

36mm in diameter, Caliber 281, 1945-46.


12253

1945

This 35mm case housed the Caliber 481.


12266

1945

34.5mm, Caliber 481 which will have been gold plated and lacking any shock protection seen on later iterations.


12268

1948

1948-1949, Caliber 481


12283

1948

The 18kt yellow gold 34.5mm case houses the Caliber. 481


12285

1949

Ref. 12285 dates to between 1949 and 1951. The pushers on the left hand side of the case are far more flush than most from the 1940s. This watch case is 18kt gold ( Denoted by the first digit of the reference number) and is one of the largest sizes at 37.5mm.


12296

1949

18kt pink gold Tri-Compax dates from between 1949 and 1951. Universal Geneve usually produced 100,000 watches a year but it took them three years to make watches marked 1,400,000 and 1,500,000. This watch has design hallmarks of the earlier style including the blue tachymeter, more delicate hands and a minute chronograph register split 3 minute intervals. It has very similar hour markers to the Ref. 12285 although these are in rose gold and the darts are thinner. The chronograph register is separated into 3 minute intervals and has numbered hash marks at 3,6 and 9. Inside the watch is the Caliber 481.


12551

1945

The case number dates the watch to between 1945 and 1946


12554

1944

1944-1945


222100-1

It's bears many similarities to pieces from the 1960s but its serial number (2,0XX,XXX) places right at the beginning of 1959.


22242

The '42 case have these awesome faceted lugs which are almost a precursor to the 'twisted' bombe style that is seen on the sports case of the 1960's. These watches are 35mm wide with the Caliber 481 inside.


22258

1944

1944 and 1945, 36mm, Cal. 481


22259

1944

34mm with a 16mm lug distance, Cal. 481, 1944-1945


22260
1944

Model 22.260, with steel case and pink gold lugs, produced in 1944, the first year of production of this model.


22261

1942

34m, 1942 and 1943, Caliber 481


22279

1944

34mm, Cal 481, 1944 and 1945



22297-1

1952

At some point in production in the early 1950s, Universal changed the location, arrangement and size of the reference and serial numbers. Before the text was small with the serial number stamped above the reference, now the text is larger and the reference number is now above the case number, dates to somewhere between 1952 to 1955. Given the high serial number (1,633,225) and the inclusion of a screw-on case back and circular pushers, it's probably a later piece, potentially 1954 or 1955.


22297-2

1952

Like the Ref. 12296, it is unclear exactly which year this Tri-Compax was produced. Serial numbers 1,600,000 to 1,700,000 were produced from 1952 to 1955 and this watch has a serial number of 1,666,228. Inside is the Caliber 281. This is one of the small mid-size cases, measuring 34mm.


22297-3

1956

This Tri-Compax has a 35mm steel case and is powered by the Caliber 281. The third variation on the Ref. 2297 has thin, faceted rectangular hour markers instead of the fat lume filled darts seen on the /1 and /2. This piece also has thick steel dauphine hands rather than the alpha hands seen on previous versions. This watch has circular pushers and the screw-on case back. The serial number, 1,803,186, places it in 1956.


22536

1946

36.5mm, gold plated Cal. 287, 1946 to 1949


22541

?


42406

1945

36mm case is the Calibre 287, 1945


42409

37mm


481101-03

1965

Caliber 281


522100-1

1959

This Tri-Compax has a brushed 14kt gold case and measures 35mm. The seller blurred out the serial number so anything past the first two digits, 2 & 0, are unclear. Like the Ref. 22297/2, this watch as some design cues from both the 1950s and 1960s (circular pushers and screw-on case back) yet its serial number places it in early 1959.

The rectangular hour markers are more rounded than on the Ref. 222100/1 and are almost pill shaped. The date indicator hand on this piece appears to have been replaced at some point, as all nearly all Tri-Compax from this period have bright red hands.


522101

?

36mm


52216

Cal. 481 inside the 34.5mm case


881101-01

1968

Caliber 281


881101-02

1968

reverse panda dial


881101-03

1968

1968 and uses the Caliber 281. This is one of, if not the, rarest Universal Geneve Tri-Compax from the 1960s. This is the third variation of the Ref. 881101


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