Vintage Watches Hands-On With One Of The Rarest Universal Geneve Chronographs, Ever

Collectors quickly figured out that these red and black scales were used to measure the amount of camera film used. But the Universal Geneve Film Compax reference 22522 remains one of the rarest vintage UGs: Less than 10 have ever appeared. This week, a fresh-to-market example will hit the block at Heritage Auction. I had the chance to go hands-on with it, giving me the perfect excuse to feature a true grail in the world of Universal Geneve.

The Universal Geneve Film Compax reference 22522 was commercialized in 1945. To date, every known example was produced for the U.S. market, perhaps intended for American filmmakers. A few years ago, Sacha Davidoff and the enigmatic Mr. A documented every known example of the Film Compax, finding just seven.

The Film Compax is distinguished from other UG chronographs by its purpose-built outer scales. These red and black scales are designed to indicate the amount of film used in feet per second: red for 16mm film and black for 35mm film, calibrated to the old industry standard of 24 frames per second. The three o'clock subdial has additional markers to keep measuring the amount of film used in feet per minute.

The Film Compax is one of only a few wristwatches that collectors have found specifically designed for the film industry (the Gallet Filmeter is another). With such a specialized use case, it's easy to understand why only a handful have been found. Advertising for the Film Compax says that the chronograph will "perform a valuable service for film and television producers. Its scale is graduated to show the footage of both 16mm and 35mm film that will pass through the camera each second."

Universal Geneve produced a number of purpose-built chronographs like the Aero-Compax, Medico-Compax, Space-Compax, or Dato-Compax. It's something that's always given vintage UG character: it's easy to imagine the type of person that might've bought these watches back in the day, just wanting a tool to better perform their tasks as a pilot/doctor/astronaut/professional date-tellers/etc. But among these, the Film Compax has always stood out.

The Film Compax at Heritage Auction hasn't sold publicly before, but it falls perfectly in line with other known examples. First, it has the import code UOW stamped on the bridge, the U.S. import code for Universal Geneve, indicating production for the States. (In fact, even the measurement of film in feet indicates these would've been intended for the States.) The watch doesn't come from the original owner, but Heritage told me it came to them from Los Angeles. It's not hard to imagine a history of this watch serving on the wrist of some old Hollywood director before passing down to some descendants and eventually being discovered at an estate sale underneath the brooches and sterling silver.

Inside is the UG caliber 287, one of the brand's standard manual-wind chronograph movements. Every known example uses a steel case, though Davidoff mentions the possibility of a 14k gold version since one is featured in old UG ads. This latest example at Heritage falls in the same serial and movement number range (1,174,xxx and 261,xxx, respectively) observed in previous examples of the Film Compax.

Most examples have appeared via eBay or watch forums. The notable exception is a Film Compax that sold at Phillips Start-Stop-Reset auction for CHF 68,750 in 2016. All kinds of crazy things happened at that sale – it was headlined by a $2.5 million Rolex split, for example – so this isn't really indicative of what we should expect this week.

Heritage has a $10k reserve on its Film Compax, but it's hard to tell where it might end up. UG isn't talked about nearly as much as it used to be (a shame, in my opinion). The case remains sharp. The dial is the most important part of the Film Compax, and this one is spotted and worn, particularly around the outer scales. There are also scratches and smudges on the dial, most noticeably on the subdials. That said, the dial is original, with the "Universal Geneve" and "Film Compax" easily identifiable with their exaggerated serif font.

While in the past collectors prized rarity above all else, now they often look for condition and then rarity. To put it plainly, this is a watch from the '40s and it shows. I have absolutely no idea where this might sell. That Phillips result is the only comp, and this obviously isn't a $60k-watch. I think Heritage would be thrilled with a $20k result.

Universal Geneve was the brand that made me love vintage watches. Somehow, I knew what a "Nina Rindt" was before I knew what a "Paul Newman" was. But it's also a brand that takes some getting used to; it has more reference numbers than a modern Omega catalog. Further, Universal Geneve's golden age of chronographs dates to the '40s and '50s, and these just aren't the types of watches that collectors are talking about much right now. Beyond that, the rarity and intrigue of the Film Compax is a story that takes some time to explain.

But none of this should take away from the fact that the Film Compax is one of the most special chronographs in all of Universal Geneve. I never thought I'd get to see one in person, and now that I have, I can still say: It hasn't lost its air of mystery.

For more on this UG Film Compax, it's Lot 54174 in Heritage Auction's Watches & Fine Timepieces sale, open for bidding until November 15.