is a very special brand, and one that all of us here at Analog:Shift and vintage watch enthusiasts around the world feel a strong pull towards.

While probably best known for their Polerouter collection, their expansive line of chronographs rank amongst the most desirable vintage timepieces of all time, full stop.

Ever since its debut in the 1940s, their Compax collection has seen numerous iterations ranging from simpler, elegant executions suitable for use as dress pieces, to highly complicated models with task-specific functionality, to sportier motorsports, diving and aviation-themed timepieces with added durability. Whatever style you fancy, there is a vintage Universal Genève chronograph that is sure to get your blood pumping a little faster, such is the allure of these special watches.

This example is a model not often seen on the market - and certainly not commonly found in North America. A refined interpretation of the ‘Compax 1950’ line hailing from the brand's 1990s revival, this Reference 484.440 features a beautiful 36mm rose gold case with a domed acrylic crystal, barrel chronograph pushers and a signed screwd-own crown. Note that last part, we're coming back to that! Its non-luminous matte black dial has developed a smoky gray patination complemented by applied rose gold baton indices, dauphine hands and triple register display with running subsidiary seconds at 9 o'clock, a thirty minute totalizer at 3 o'clock, and a 12 hour counter at 6.

This 1990s revival collection relied on contract movements instead of their earlier in-house options, but as far as supplied movements go, this one is no slouch and comes powered by a Lemania Calibre 1873 hand-wound chronograph mechanism. This calibre has been used as the base in dozens of high-grade chronographs and calendar chronograph models from numerous maisons, and of course comes from the lineage of exceptional chronograph mechanisms that brought us the Calibre .321 that powered early Speedmasters.

Coming back to that screw-down crown thing. This is a very unusual option box to find checked on a Compax 1950 - particularly when finished in 18k gold, which has led some specialists and collectors to believe that they may have been commissioned for military officers. We can not verify this independently, but the this is a prime example of the mystique and lore that make vintage Universal Genève so compelling!

Sure to garner the attention of experienced UG collectors and newer enthusiasts alike, this rare bird won’t last long - particularly with the future of the brand taking shape after years of dormancy under new ownership from Breitling!