BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Universal Genève has unveiled a slew of new watches designed to captivate an audience and build attention for the brand. If you’re into your vintage watches, you’ll know about Universal Genève already, but if not, then you need to know that they made high-quality watches from the late 1800s right through to the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s. It didn’t suffer the same fate as so many other watchmakers from the era, but it didn’t do well as you didn’t see the name around much until Breitling purchased it for around $70m in 2023. Since then, the brand has been slowly coming back to life and offering modern variants of some of its classics. Here’s the rundown of what they’ve released for 2026.
Cabriolet
We begin with one of the most intriguing additions to the range: the Cabriolet. Based on a 1930s design called the Ideo, the Cabriolet is a reversible watch that allows you to lift the inner case, rotate it and then place it back in the outer case that connects to the wrist. Jaeger-LeCoultre might be the most well-known brand for reversible watches, but it’s far from the only one. The Cabriolet comes in two distinct collections. The ‘Prêt-à-Porter’ models are the standard range, with a stainless steel option with a blue dial and a nine-link bracelet, 18k rose gold with a white dial and a leather strap or black dial with a nine-link bracelet. There’s also a diamond-set version with a ruby-red dial and a leather strap. Alongside the ‘Prêt-à-Porter’ models sits the Cabriolet De Lempicka, featuring an 18k rose gold case and a teal dial. 15 of these are being made, with three different Tamara de Lempicka paintings applied to the casebacks of the watches: five with ‘Portrait of Mrs Bush’, five with ‘Tamara in Green Bugatti’, and the last five with ‘Docteur Boucard’. All watches measure 24.2mm wide, 45mm from lug to lug, and 8mm thick, yet they also have 100m of water resistance. Inside them is the manufacture calibre UG-111, a rectangular movement with a 3Hz beat rate and a 72-hour power reserve. The prices start at CHF9,8000 and end at CHF50,000, depending on the model chosen. The Cabiolet De Lempicka is priced at CHF51,000.
Disco Mini
The Disco Mini range is Universal Genève’s range of timepieces for women, which they say “celebrates the art of everyday elegance, turning Universal Genève’s couture-inspired vision into wearable style.” Like the Cabriolet, the Disco Mini’s collection is split. There are two versions in 18k rose gold: one with a leather strap and the other a rose gold bangle bracelet, both with a Clous-de-Paris decoration to the bezel. The 18k white gold versions also come with either a leather strap or a bangle bracelet, but they have diamond-set bezels. All of these watches come with light-coloured mother-of-pearl dials. All of these watches measure 28mm x 10.5mm. There’s also the Disco Mini Lace, which features 60 diamonds set on the bezel, with an 18k white gold case and a luminous blue mother-of-pearl dial. This watch measures 32mm x 11.4mm. All watches feature the calibre UG-300, a quartz movement with a battery life of around seven years. Prices range from CHF16,000 to CHF30,000 for the Disco Mini models; the Disco Mini Lace costs CHF39,000.
Polerouter
Previously, the Polerouter watches made under the revived Universal Genève name were limited-production watches, most likely intended to gauge real-world interest. Now, the Polerouter is back with eleven variants split across two case sizes, one measuring 37mm x 9.35mm and the other 39mm x 9.5mm. Both watches are water-resistant to 100m. Their cases are classically matched to the Polerouters of old, including twisted lugs, and their dials are similar, with the crosshair look harking back to the days of old. The watches are split between the ‘Prêt-à-Porter’ models, with two in 37mm and three in 39mm. There’s also the Polerouter Camaïeu, which consists of three watches with diamond-set bezels, and the Polerouter Hardstone models, which have either lapis lazuli, Tiger’s eye, or Bull’s Eye stone on them, depending on the model choice. There’s a split in straps across the range, too, with some featuring a leather strap and others the brick-style bracelet, which really suits the look and is very reminiscent of Gérald Genta’s original design. All watches feature the calibre UG-110, complete with a gold offset winding rotor and plenty of fine finishing, a 4Hz beat rate and 72 hours of power reseve. Prices for the Polerouter begin at CHF14,000 in steel with a leather strap for either the 37mm or 39mm models, and top out at CHF65,100 for the Tiger’s Eye model.
Compax
And last, but by no means least, are the Compax models. Universal Genève is perhaps most well-known for its Compax chronograph watches from across the years. Like the other watches, the new Compax range is split with the ‘Prêt-à-Porter’ collection gaining three watches. The first, inspired by Finnish model Nina Rindt who apparently used her Compax watch to time her husband’s F1 laps, comes on a leather Bund strap. A stainless steel bracelet is also available with a black dial featuring white subdials (the opposite of the Nina Rindt watch), and there’s a blue version in gold too. The other range is the Compax Capsule collection, which come with either an indigo-coloured dial, sage green or lavender, complete with a linen-style pattern. All watches come in cases measuring 39.5mm x 12.45mm with 100m of water resistance. Inside each watch is the self-winding calibre UG200, their new movement featuring an offset winding rotor in gold, a 4Hz beat rate and 72-hour power reserve. The chronograph is a column wheel type with a vertical clutch. Prices start at CHF15,500 for stainless steel and rise to CHF39,900.
There are a couple of model ranges that we didn’t list here: the Signature Collection and the Capsule Collection. I would strongly urge you to check them out. Universal Genève’s revival under Breitling is very interesting indeed. This is a very historical name that, in its heyday, could outclass Rolex in some places, so it deserves respect. I think Breitling made the right call in making Universal Genève’s watches generally sit in a class above its own. It wouldn’t make sense to have them competing, but I wonder if they’re going to give the newly revived name the marketing that it needs to get its watches in front of the buyers’ market that doesn’t suffer fools gladly anymore. I hope it goes well for them. And could someone do this kind of brand resuscitation for Enicar, please? It’s about time they got a proper revival.
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