UNIVERSAL TRI-COMPAX questions

watchmaker · May 5, 2014

Hi Gents- new to this forum and new to Universal in general. I look forward to reviewing and sharing any Universal's I find with you all.

What can anyone tell me about the following gold Tri-Compax I saw recently..

It's reference number is 12253 with a case diameter of 34.5 mm in 18 kt gold and a 481 cal. As far as I am aware it is from 1944?

Does anyone think it is a redial? I understand the upkeep of the Universal if in "fine" condition can be quite costly but this looks in good condition? I do not have any photos of the mechanism or
interior plate to share at present.

Thanks

Thanks

LouS · May 5, 2014

This is a redial. Note the strikingly monochromatic dial - not a hint of aging anywhere. Also the dates are in a very atypical font and much of the rest of the printing is over- inked. Otherwise, the case is somewhat more polished that I like but that's a matter of taste.

watchmaker · May 6, 2014

Thanks - I'll contact the dealer and ask if they know its provenance & service history. The dial did look, surprisingly, in very good condition. Also what surprised me was the "thinness" of the hands on the clock face bearing in mind this model stems from 1944 I believe. Did this also lead you to believe it was a redial or do you think only the dial was remade?

LouS · May 6, 2014

W watchmaker
Thanks - I'll contact the dealer and ask if they know its provenance & service history. The dial did look, surprisingly, in very good condition. Also what surprised me was the "thinness" of the hands on the clock face bearing in mind this model stems from 1944 I believe. Did this also lead you to believe it was a redial or do you think only the dial was remade?

My judgment was based exclusively on aspects of the dial itself, but now that you mention it, the hands are somewhat unusual and could well be replacements.

woodwkr2 · May 10, 2014

All of these blued steel leaf hands are correct, except for the minute hand, which is a generic (non-UG) replacement. The red date hand looks to have been recently repainted, which is not a big deal.

These hands are impossible to find, so you'll be searching for many years to find a correct minute hand.

The dial, as mentioned, has been redone.