Universal Compax ~1938 _ ref.7074 _ black dial

Hello,

Some images of a rare Compax, ref.7074
Black dial and case 38mm diameter (6857xx)
I have just received it

Beautiful watch, but this may be a "European" redial.

Would need to see a head on dial shot to be sure.

This piece has a very unusual case back as well.

And the pushers and/or crown may be modern replacements

I'm a bit suspicious.

I am interested in the tell tale sign of the redial in this case...🍿

First the case: I've never seen a snap back case with an o-ring. As mentioned, the font and engravings look atypical. The pushers, especially, appear to be modern replacements to my eye (I believe that this one should have the sharp edged mushroom pusher variant).

The Dial: I'm not putting money down on this until I see better pictures. But the things I don't like: signed "Swiss Made" at 6 O'Clock rather than "Swiss". On modern redials, this narrows the redial to one particular re-dialing shop in Europe, who has this habit.

In my experience, the "Swiss Made" is correct on watches that Universal made for third party brands (such as Girard-Perregaux, in particular), but not on Universal branded pieces.

The rounded "3" font in the hour counter subdial. If you get into the really early Universals, this could be totally correct. But again, my thinking is that this model should have a flat topped "3". On modern redials, this again, narrows the redial to one particular re-dialing shop in Europe who has this habit.

I am not going so far as to call this an outright fake or certain redial. I'd like to see better pictures, and it may be from that early transitional period (discussed several times previously) at Universal where some of the usual tells were inconsistent or contradictory to later models. But I am highly skeptical.

Here's what I believe the dial should look like (or similar, as I've seen examples both with and without the second outer ring/scale on the dial).

Note that the straight "Compax" line and curved "Compax" line above the 6 O'Clock subdial were both used during this period. I haven't done much research into the Compax line, but I don't think it adds much to the discussion.

In posting the previous excerpt from Sala, I came across ref. 7075. It appears that I am wrong about the case back, as this is apparently a double-step lunette style. Sala does not publish pictures of the inside caseback, but I would have guessed that it contained a lead sealing ring from this period rather than a modern o-ring.

I am also wrong about my hypothesis that this model should have the straight edged mushroom style pushers. Though it seems my hunch was correct that the pushers on the OP's piece are most certainly replacements.

Please see the picture below. To me, the pushers, crown, caseback engravings, subdial fonts, and Swiss signature are still suspect in the OP's piece.

This early waterproof case is outstanding

Here what I believe is the same case with a Uni-Compax dial for reference




Laurent

🙄
These non-screw down 'waterproof' cases are really fantastic. I believe that the above example that Noodia has posted is completely correct, with especially beautiful blued steel leaf hands. I'll point out that this style subdial hand is very infrequently seen, and is correct on early period Universals, as well as some of the later pieces that they did for 3rd parties.

Note that the dial is signed "SWISS".

The ref. 7075 example, and Noodia's picture above comprise a different pusher type than I'd cataloged previously.

I've updated the reference thread on pushers accordingly.