Omega
Rolex
Rolex is obviously the most famous watch brand in the world. And especially in the vintage segment, it sets the pace of the scene. You can’t get past Rolex. I personally love Rolexes that don’t look like a Rolex. The Rolex King Midas is a very good example of this. (Picture Rolex King Midas). There are many Rolex models on the market, so I try to find either rare variants of common references or unique models that are not seen on every wrist. Besides the King Midas, I can think of the Rolex Texano Ref. 5100 or the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref. 6567. With regard to rare variants of more common Rolex models, I am mainly looking for rare dial configurations.
Whether a Shantung dial, a vignette dial or stone dials – I love it when you only realize at second glance that it is not an ordinary Rolex.
Rolex was founded in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, the company registered Rolex as the brand name of its watches in 1908 and became Rolex Watch Co. Ltd. in 1915. After World War I, the company moved its base of operations to Geneva, Switzerland because of the unfavorable economy in the United Kingdom. In 1920, Hans Wilsdorf registered Montres Rolex SA in Geneva as the new company name, the company has been owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a private family trust.
Universal Geneve
Universal Geneve is a good example of a smaller manufacturer that has nevertheless produced breath-taking watches. In addition to the very famous Polerouter series with the so-called “microrotor” movement, UG has made a name for itself with outstanding chronographs and the movements that go with them. Whether Uni-, Bi-, Tri- or Film-compax, there are many different chronographs, and each of them has its own history and purpose. Personally, of course, I love the so-called Medico-Compax, which has a pulsation scale and thus makes it easier to measure the patient’s pulse.
The Polerouter with the microrotor movement is one of the most famous watches made by UG. In 1894 in Le Locle Numa-Emile Descombes and Ulysse Georges Perret founded a watchshop and watch manufacture. In the early 20th century UG specialized in making chronographs. In the 1930s UG produced a wide range of different chronos, as for example the Compur- or Compax-series. Amongst other things UG developed in the 1950s the so called Microrotor-movement, which featured the watch called Polerouter in the 1950s and 1960s. The Polerouter and the Microrotor-movement are beside the lots of complicated Chronographs the most famous products by UG. In 1989 Universal Genève was bought by the group called Stelux.
