Any thoughts on this UG TriCompax

jpowell · Apr 15, 2015

I'm curious about why the forum thinks and recommendations on care/restoration approach?

Thanks.

jpowell · Apr 16, 2015

No thoughts?

I should have said - I’m curious about what the forum thinks?

I was hoping the expert forum members would have a view…

Thanks.

LouS · Apr 16, 2015

Looks all original but for the possible exception of a relume and some finagling with the running seconds hand. I'd characterize the dial as a little tired. If I were passionate about this watch I would try to put the lume and second hand right, provide a complete service and leave it at that. Is there anything specific you would like to know?

jpowell · Apr 16, 2015

Thanks. I’m trying to understand if the “right” thing to do is to try to get it back to NOS condition or if the better approach is to embrace the aging… Kind of like life really 😀 To botox or not to botox… Would you recommend trying to relume? Who is good at doing that in the US?

Thanks again.

LouS · Apr 16, 2015

Definitely embrace the aging. This isn't a watch for the "ooh-shiny! crowd, it's a connoisseur's piece. And to a connoisseur there is little less appealing than an over-restored watch.

I'd like to know who is good at relume as well/

10H10 · Apr 20, 2015

First time I see Tri-Compax in a whole word "Tricompax" without the "-" or a blank space, isn't that an old redial ?

jpowell · Apr 20, 2015

How could I tell?

woodwkr2 · Apr 21, 2015

10H10
First time I see Tri-Compax in a whole word "Tricompax" without the "-" or a blank space, isn't that an old redial ?

No. The dial is completely original.

10H10 · May 5, 2015

woodwkr2
No. The dial is completely original.

Ah !? They misspell Tri-Compax on purpose ? I don't get it.

woodwkr2 · May 5, 2015

Omitting the dash is different than "misspelling".

The dial is correct.

Welcome to the wide, strange world of Universal.

10H10 · May 5, 2015

LouS
Definitely embrace the aging. This isn't a watch for the "ooh-shiny! crowd, it's a connoisseur's piece. And to a connoisseur there is little less appealing than an over-restored watch.

I'd like to know who is good at relume as well/

Hmmm... I don't share LouS opinion, this watch was made to be beautiful and it's way more pleasurable to the eye to look at a beautiful watch when you read time than to a beaten up one, same thing goes with women, I'm sure that you wouldn't let yours at the age of 45 with gray hairs, hairy legs, unwashed and without makeup just because she was born like that.
Conoisseur are not masochists, how come you never see Patek watches in such poor conditions ? Furthermore, U.G. is particulary famous because of their elegant designs "Le couturier de la montre".
If Sala's watches are so beautiful it's because they are restored, nobody wants a 18th century commode Boulle in ruin at home (or museum) and nobody leaves it like that if they find it in ruin, guess why ?
As you probably understood, considering that the case is in good shape, if you find a nice and clean original dial, I woud strongly recommend to swap them and keep the old one if you want.
Cheers.

Watchsmuggler · May 5, 2015

10H10
Hmmm... I don't share LouS opinion, this watch was made to be beautiful and it's way more pleasurable to the eye to look at a beautiful watch when you read time than to a beaten up one, same thing goes with women, I'm sure that you wouldn't let yours at the age of 45 with gray hairs, hairy legs, unwashed and without makeup just because she was born like that.
Conoisseur are not masochists, how come you never see Patek watches in such poor conditions ? Furthermore, U.G. is particulary famous because of their elegant designs "Le couturier de la montre".
If Sala's watches are so beautiful it's because they are restored, nobody wants a 18th century commode Boulle in ruin at home (or museum) and nobody leaves it like that if they find it in ruin, guess why ?
As you probably understood, considering that the case is in good shape, if you find a nice and clean original dial, I woud strongly recommend to swap them and keep the old one if you want.
Cheers.

All in all it is matter of taste and what for you collect watches. At a certain point it can make sense to have 'untouched' watches for investment purposes and restored for wearing : )

Of course you can find Pateks in poor condition, but rarely. And yes, it is getting really tricky (while some dial makers do real masterpieces of refinishing) to spot redone dial.