Why We Love It Perfect Gilt Gloss Dial. Universal Geneve Trapezoidal Crystal. Microrotor Movement. Gerald Genta. Now that we have all the buzzwords out of the way, let's talk about condition. If real estate is all about "location, location, location" vintage watches are all about "condition, condition, condition", and wow is this Polerouter a stunner. It has everything in tact that we love about this iconic mid-century design. An early Polerouter before the dials went matte, and the crystals got plain - and yet still housing a beautifully decorated in-house microrotor automatic from one of the great brands in watchmaking history. Just wearing this, your eyes get lost in the depth of that gilt-gloss dial and the slight touch of radium burn (indicating that this was most likely left untouched for a very ling period of time) is the only thing to remind you that this is a treasured watch of yesteryear. Trust us on this one, Polerouters do not always come this nice and complete - especially when you start hunting for that elusive UG signed magnifying crystal! The Story Most of us, even the most diehard collectors, know only one watch designer by name: Gerald Genta. The man behind the AP Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the IWC Ingenieur, Genta changed the watch industry with his luxury stainless steel sports watches with sharp 70s lines and his characteristic integrated bracelet design. But before he could pioneer haute horology, he had cut his teeth on a more approachable timepiece; the Universal Genève Polerouter. The Polerouter was Genta's first watch design brought to market, penned by the young Swiss designer in his early 20s. The watch was a sales success and propelled Genta’s career forward (allowing for the greats such as the Royal Oak and the Nautilus.) The first Polerouter was released in 1954 (and originally called the POLARouter) to celebrate and promote Scandinavian Airlines’ Royal Viking polar flights between New York City, Los Angeles and Europe. The flights forged a new route over the North Pole, reducing flight times between the two continents. Flying over the North Pole presented a unique set of challenges for a watch, and the Polerouter was designed to be highly resistant to magnetic fields (in addition to the usual shock and water resistance) so as to maintain accuracy during the trip.
