1948 Sugar Bowl Universal Geneve

S
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This is from an ad in the game program for the January 1, 1948 Sugar Bowl football game in New Orleans. I believe the time only piece was given to the players after reprinting the dial with the game logo. Does anybody know which model it is (263? 265?)?
 
Vitezi
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This source suggests the reference for the 1947 game shown in your ad was 20508.
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@Jonatan showed this example, reference 20505, from the 1946 game:
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rolokr
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S statsman
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This is from an ad in the game program for the January 1, 1948 Sugar Bowl football game in New Orleans. I believe the time only piece was given to the players after reprinting the dial with the game logo. Does anybody know which model it is (263? 265?)?
My instinct says caliber 263 ?
 
S
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Great catches. The ad in the 1948 program is labeled "Jan. 1, 1947", indicating that Watch was the 20508. The photo of the 1948 watch shows something different- the hands are thinner, "Universal Geneve" is on the six o clock side, not twelve. Could they have refinished the entire dial? Or did Universal make one like in the photo except for the Sugar Bowl trophy logo?

Also- notice the prices for the Compax? Using an inflation calculator, the SS Compax would be a modern $1,600 and the gold one would be $2,800.
 
gatorcpa
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S statsman
Also- notice the prices for the Compax? Using an inflation calculator, the SS Compax would be a modern $1,600 and the gold one would be $2,800
Multiply those numbers by a factor of 4.28. Back in 1947, it took 4.28 francs to buy a US dollar. Today it's just about even exchange.

So you are looking at almost $7,000 for the steel and $12,000 for the gold. Seems reasonable given the price of modern watches of similar grade.
gatorcpa
 
Jonatan
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Hi Guys. Glad to learn some more about this watch. Unfortunately, mine does not have the Sugar Bowl dial. I tried to get the case back open but wasn't able to. From what I remember it is a cal. 263.
 
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Larry S
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Cal 263.
 
Larry S
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fun thread! Needs to go into the data base.
 
S
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This is a conversion of two interests of mine- college football and fine mechanical watches. They really used to give out nice watches. In the '30s, they were typically US made pocket watches. In the '40s, it looks like the Sugar Bowl was giving SS Universals and the Orange and Cotton Bowl were giving gold filled Bulovas, Gruens and Elgins. In the '50s, more Hamiltons and Elgins. In the '60s, the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl were giving out Omega 550s (as was the less prestigious Bluebonnet Bowl), and started to cease engraving individual names on the back. In the late '60s, the Cotton Bowl went to Rolex and later Tudor.
 
Vitezi
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That's a great collecting theme to pursue. I thought the auction link above had an interesting group of college football bowl watches. Besides the UG, the description noted a 1948 Gator Bowl Hamilton, a 1963 Orange Bowl Elgin, 1964 Sugar Bowl Omega, 1979 Sugar Bowl Hamilton and a 1973 Sugar Bowl Hamilton.

lf
 
Jonatan
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It's possible there was an evolution in the dials :

1946 did the dial have an inscription or has mine been changed???
1947 no logo but Sugar bowl and year is written on dial
1948+ the dial has the Sugar bowl logo, name and year on the dial

We would need more watches to confirm.

I'm guessing only the winning team received a watch. Or maybe the winning team received a watch with the Sugar Bowl logo? Hopefully time will answer that question.
 
S
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Typically, both teams received the same watches. The week before the games is a festive time with a schedule for activities and the awarding of bowl game "goodies". You are right in that dials (and watches) changed regularly.

It looks to me like the 1948 dial is heavily modified. Did any regular Universal models have the company name at 6 instead of 12?
 
gatorcpa
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There looks to be some unexpected differences between the two 1948 UG Sugar Bowl watches. See for yourself.

@Vitezi example:
upload_2023-7-20_8-2-20.png


WatchUSeek example:
upload_2023-7-20_8-3-47.png


The hands and crowns are totally different. Focus on the year and UG logo on the dial as well. I’m not sure which one is more “correct”, but if forced to choose, the @Vitezi example seems to have more honest wear.
gatorcpa[/ATTACH]
 
S
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I bought the second one. Yes, I believe the dial is refinished (note the slight font difference in the hours, most noticeable in the 4, 6 and 9). The watch is legit, coming from the estate of a Longhorn player. I opened it up and it is a Universal model 20501, with a 267 movement.

My belief is that the owner/awardee had his watch serviced and refinished. I’m fine with that.
I have to ask, though- how are the hands different? They look the same to me (I have a pic of a third ‘48 Sugar Bowl watch, and the hands look the same to me. None of the theee I have seen have the iconic “syringe” Universal hands).
 
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