Iconic watch brand Universal Genève is back

Universal Genève has been brought back to life by Breitling

By Nathan S.R Published November 4, 2024

Universal Geneve Compax — Universal Geneve Compax Universal Geneve Compax / Universal Geneve Compax

One of the biggest luxury watch brands, Universal Genève, returns to life after 20 years. While the brand is famous for its exquisite timepieces, it has been inactive in recent years, which is why you can be forgiven if you don’t know much about it.

From 1894 to the present, the brand amassed a huge following, even though it eventually went under. Universal Genève was hugely affected by the 1989 quartz crisis, and it was acquired by Stelux Holdings in the ‘90s. Unfortunately, Stelux couldn’t revive the brand—things went silent in 2005.

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Some of the brand’s most solid chronograph pieces were constructed by Gerald Genta, a very experienced watchmaker. For instance, the UG Tri-Compax model is one of the most sought-after timepieces from this brand. Despite everything, it will go down in history as one of the most iconic watches of all time.

Well, those credentials are enough to make this brand successful, and that’s the reason it was acquired by another popular watch brand—Breitling.

Since Universal Geneve has been inactive for a long time, it will take some time before things return to normal. Nevertheless, Breitling has taken a few steps to help revive the brand, such as launching a new website.

To preserve UG values, Breitling’s CEO is working with collectors who have been dealing with UG timepieces in the past few years.

The collectors usually meet up to discuss the actions that should be taken to steer the brand forward. For example, the team behind Universal Geneve suggested that the brand needs a new logo. As a result, the new logo was published on the new website.

It will likely be a while yet before we see any new innovations from the brand, but this website is a step in the right direction.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nathan has devoted his life to collecting watches, studying horology, reviewing watches, and writing about timepieces. As a…

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