The Universal Genève Polerouter is beloved by vintage watch enthusiasts, and for good reason. It’s got everything going for it. Designed by the legendary Gérald Genta, produced over decades in a wide array of styles and references, and boasting genuinely significant mechanical innovation, the Polerouter encapsulates everything that’s great about vintage watches. What makes it even more appealing is that the Polerouter, unlike so many of its peers, is still relatively accessible.

Origins of the Universal Genève Polerouter

Before we dive into the Polerouter itself, it’s worth talking a little about the history of Universal Genève. Like many Swiss brands, it dates its origins to the establissage system of watchmaking, in the late-nineteenth century. The Le Locle-based brand began its life in 1894 as Universal Watch. In 1919, the brand set up shop in Geneva. The brand went from strength to strength, and in 1936, it became officially known as Universal Genève. The brand makes a name for itself in chronographs, but in 1954, the brand released a watch that would loom large in the Universal Genève annals for decades to come — the Polerouter.

There are a lot of compelling origins to the Polerouter origin story. It is a casually dressy watch with anti-magnetic features and a compelling aviation angle, but the detail that most collectors today gravitate towards is the designer — Gérald Genta.

The Polerouter (originally known as the Polarouter) was designed by 23-year-old Gerald Genta and is widely considered to be his first watch design. Certainly, the touch of the industry’s default watch designer goes a long way to explaining why the design has held up for 70 years, but there are not too many identifiable ‘Genta’ elements at play. It’s still an incredible design, well balanced — defined by its tuxedo-like dial design, which sees a black central dial surrounded by an engine-turned chapter ring that is, for many, the defining feature of the watch (though it’s not present on all variants, as we’ll discover). And while the dial may be the star, everything else about this watch adds up, too. From the lyre-shaped lugs to the 35mm case width, the original Polerouter certainly delivered from a design perspective.

While the fundamentals of the design are strong, there’s more to the story of the Polerouter’s appeal than just a good watch. It’s a watch with a good story as well.

The 1950s was also the era of increasingly accessible commercial air travel. On November 15, 1954, the Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) opened a new commercial route between Los Angeles and Copenhagen. While today this might not seem too noteworthy, it was a big deal back then, as the flight clocked in at an impressive 22 hours, shaving 14 hours off the conventional flight path by directly crossing the poles. Previously, this flight path was untenable thanks to the impact of the magnetic pole on the navigational tools. This flight was a big deal, with the maiden trip seeing the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Sweden and Norway making the journey. The Universal Genève Polerouter was made to mark this new route. The link, so the story goes, is that Universal Genève had known expertise in anti-magnetic watchmaking, a desirable trait in a watch made for aircrews flying over the pole. A small number of SAS-dialled Polerouters are known to have been made around this time, of which a few dozen examples are known to exist today.

While today, the feat of polar flight is less remarkable, the design has clearly had a lasting impact, a design that has transcended its aviation origin story and become a discreet collecting category in and of itself. For many collectors, the Polerouter has been something of an entry point. In a Revolution column written last year discussing the revival of the Universal Genève brand, Stephen Pulvirent summed up the appeal of the Polerouter succinctly: “The watches were complicated, but not too complicated; they could get kind of rare and pricey, but neither too rare nor too pricey; there was a ton of history, but still a lot to be discovered and understood. Add the influence of the blog culture, the start of social media, and vintage dealers moving online, and it’s not at all shocking that Universal Genève became the phenomenon it did amongst those in the know. It was kind of a perfect storm.”

The Appeal of the Universal Genève Polerouter

Today, that perfect storm continues. We’re a long way away from the sort of tumblr/watchblog culture of the early 2010s, but the appeal of the Universal Genève Polerouter is still strong. Indeed, a decade’s worth of scholarship and appreciation has only added to the allure. The Polerouter is still a great entry point into vintage collecting. While the tales of picking up Polerouters in thrift stores for a few hundred dollars are becoming less and less common, the prices are not ridiculous. At the time of writing, there were 132 listings on Chrono24 for Polerouters, with all but a few dozen examples priced below USD 5,000.

The other major drawcard of the Polerouter is also the breadth of the collection. The Polerouter is more than just that original reference — there’s the Super, the Date, the Day-Date, the Jet, the De Luxe, and plenty more. As a vintage watch model, you know you’ve made it big when you get your own dedicated website, and The Polerouter Reference Website, run by Adam Hambly, is an invaluable hub of Polerouter information — with thousands of distinct models falling under the Polerouter family. It’s worth noting that the breadth and depth of the category bodes well for the ‘new’ Universal Genève — the brand has a rich archive of models with a built-in fanbase to recreate in the years to come.

Where to start with the Universal Genève Polerouter

It’s somewhat paradoxical that one of the major draws of the Polerouter — its extensive production history — is also a barrier to entry. It’s hard to know where to start, and for the casual enthusiast, the profusion of reference numbers, serial numbers and production runs can be intimidating, to say the least. If you’re looking for a place to start, here are three references that demonstrate significant moments or even the sheer diversity of this remarkable watch.

The Universal Genève Polerouter 20214/20217

The earliest Polerouter references, the 35.5mm 20214 and 20217, laid down the design formula that Universal Genève would follow for decades to come, with one significant difference: the movement. While the model is, for many, synonymous with the micro-rotor movement, the earliest versions use a different style of calibre. The Cal. 138SS. This movement was introduced by Universal Genève in 1948 and was a ‘bumper’ with an oscillating mass that moved in a limited arc and had a noticeable bump when it was completed its arc, hence the name.

The 20124, the gold-capped case, was offered in black, gold and silver dials, with versions known with luminous and non-luminous hands, while the 20217 is the more desirable steel-cased model, offered in black or silver dials. The ‘firsts’ will always be historically significant, and worth collecting, but for the complete Polerouter experience, the next generation is even more compelling.

The Universal Genève Polerouter 20357

The reference 20357-1, released in 1955, is the first Polerouter with the brand’s Calibre 215, a microtor movement that was patent pending in 1955 and registered as a patent in 1958. Some early 20357 models were signed ‘Patented Rights Pending’. This movement represents a significant jump in watchmaking technology. The smaller rotor allowed for smaller, slimmer movements due to the inset design of the oscillating mass. One side effect that many watch enthusiasts have come to appreciate over time is the fact that a microtor allows for an uninterrupted view of the mechanism — though this is less of an issue based on the screw-down crowns of the Polerouters.

One factor to consider seriously if you’re on the hunt for a 20357 is the size. The case dimensions on this early reference are decidedly petite 33.5mm, which might be a challenge for many used to contemporary sizing. If this is the case, the reference 20360, produced from 1956-59, clocks in at 35.5mm, which many will find more palatable.

The Universal Genève Polerouter Sub 204615

If you’ve made it this far, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that Universal Genève made a diving version of their popular Polerouter. However, you might be surprised to learn that they made multiple diving versions. The more recognised model is the dual-crown 20369/1 — a compressor-style model with an internal bezel, but the Polerouter Sub 204615 is a different beast entirely.

Made from 1964-65, and with a comparatively large 37.5mm case size, the Polerouter Sub is a ‘Big Crown’ style dive watch that’s full of pleasing details. Most obvious is the design of the cardinal hours, which are in a stylised Deco font, in printed trapezoidal markers that are echoed by the shape of the date window. On top of that, there’s a red crosshair on the dial and a trident-like motif on the ‘u’ of ‘Sub’. If you take the Polerouter name out of the equation, it’s a charming vintage dive watch with plenty of uncommon details. But if you factor it into the large Polerouter narrative, it demonstrates just how diverse this long-lived and much-loved line was. It’s symbolic of just what makes the Universal Genève Polerouter so collectable.