Founded in Le Locle in 1894 by Numa Emile Descombes and Ulysse George Perret, Universal Genève established itself from its earliest days as a manufacturer of in-house movements of exceptional quality. They were also famed for making elegant and complicated wristwatches back in their heyday—becoming known as a more accessible alternative to Patek Philippe.
Collectors and enthusiasts know that Universal Genève is responsible for creating some of the most beautiful chronographs of the 20th century, such as the Compax, Uni-Compax, and Tri-Compax. However, there are also a number of other non-chronograph models that often go overlooked, despite deserving more attention—apart from the iconic Polerouter, of course. One such hidden gem is the Monodatic, offered here in 18-carat yellow gold.
For context, the Monodatic was first introduced in the 1950s with a simple goal: to display the date, as reflected in its name. It was produced alongside Universal Genève's celebrated models but never quite garnered the same level of attention. Nonetheless, the Monodatic played an important role in the brand’s history, particularly in the development of a movement that would later power the Polerouters—more on that later.
The Monodatic features a nicely sized 35mm case crafted from 18-carat yellow gold, housing a seemingly understated two-tone dial, which is subtly enhanced by the placement of gold accents throughout its cream-colored dial. If you look closely, you’ll notice tiny gold dots imprinted along the periphery which indicate the minutes, complemented by numerals and charming little ‘coffin’ hour markers in an alternating fashion. At 6:00, the running seconds sub-dial is slightly recessed, and, as its name suggests, there’s a discreet date window at 3:00 with a color-matched date disc. The dial is elegantly complemented with a set of dauphine hands. From a distance, it may appear to be a simple dress watch, but a closer inspection reveals an astonishing level of detail, such as the intricate waffle-like guilloché pattern covering the entire dial’s surface.
Powering the Monodatic from within is Universal Genève’s own Cal. 138C, a bumper-wind automatic movement which was first introduced in 1948. Similar to Omega's bumper movements, the Cal. 138C uses individual springs as a buffer mechanism on either side of the rotor to limit its rotational axis. However, unlike Omega’s design, which restricts rotation to 160°, the Cal. 138C allows for a larger 315° range of movement, which in turn improved its overall winding efficiency as well. This innovative movement design marked a key technical achievement for Universal Genève, but despite its innovation, the Cal. 138C was only produced for approximately a year before eventually being replaced by the Cal. 215 micro-rotor movement, which later powered the iconic Polerouters. During my time with the Monodatic, I found the subtle bumping sensation of the rotor as it strikes each end of the springs to be a fascinating little feature—something that’s rarely seen in modern movements today, making it a true relic and representation of a bygone era in watchmaking.
Overall, the Monodatic is a vintage dress watch from Universal Genève that truly warrants a closer look. While it may appear simple at first, every little detail on the watch is beautifully executed. Its understated yet sophisticated design makes it ideal for formal occasions, yet versatile enough for casual wear as well.
