BY SAM DELAWARE
Universal Genève and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) have collaborated again 70 years later, offering an exciting sneak peek from the watchmaker everyone is eager to see officially resurrected in 2026. On the (relative) eve of their revival, these trio of commemorative Polerouters honor mankind’s very first transpolar flights operated by Scandinavian Airlines in 1954, flying from both Copenhagen and Los Angeles simultaneously across the Earth’s northern pole.
Copenhagen – Los Angeles
Over the Pole
The commission from SAS came with unique demands. A crew would make this transpolar flight for the first time and would need a watch with ample anti-magnetism and the ability to handle a variety of climates. Of course, Universal Geneve also did so with incredible style.
SAS pilots receieving their Universal Geneve Polarouter watches
Though Genta didn’t achieve his horological household acclaim until the 70’s, the original Polerouter design is no less his, UG tapping the relatively unknown 23-year-old to helm the project.
Proportionally, Universal Genève Genta’s SAS Polerouter is almost beat-for-beat. Each watch is 35mm in diameter, a slim 9.95mm thick, and a compact 45.4mm lug to lug and material options are offered in 18k rose gold, 18k white gold, and a classic stainless steel after the original.
The cases are completely rendered in high polish across the twisted lugs, the flat step fixed bezel, the crown, and across the caseback where an engraving serves to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the troposphere trek across the North Pole.
Now we’re most familiar with the Polerouter’s sector dial, though these tribute releases are modeled after the SAS 20217-5’s from 1954-on which sport a cleaner approach and eliminated that motif altogether.
The case-matched disc insets are a near-carbon copy of the originals with the same markers and fine vertical textures. The minimalist dials are also adorned with a healthy serving of SAS branding – the vintage logotype is a classic aviator badge housing the flag of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, representing the three prime ministers who made the historic journey with the crew.
The SAS Polerouter represents more than a feat of aviation; it also speaks to the UG’s engineering mastery. At the time, the micro-rotor movement was the world’s thinnest, with a thickness of just 4.1mm, and Universal Genève decided to carry over the 1-69 caliber just as it was in the 1960s.
This self-winding mechanical caliber offers a power reserve of up to 57 hours on a full wind, employing a ball-bearing micro rotor positioned between the plate and bridges to do so, and operates at approximately 2.5hz.
Only the 18k white gold watch offers a matching 18k white gold bracelet, and it’s one handcrafted by chainmaker Laurent Jolliet, who honed his craft at Gay-Frères in Geneva. The stainless steel and 18k rose gold watches pair their cases with black calfskin leather.
Although Universal Genève’s official launch date isn’t until 2026, the 18k White Gold watch is slated to be auctioned off at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo in May of 2025 to benefit CFP Arts in Geneva, and the others added to Universal Genève’s historical archive.
