Quattro introduces the Universal Genève Caliber UG-111 and the new Cabriolet series, highlighting the brand's impressive return with a focus on shaped, hand-wound movements. His detailed presentation, complete with movement dimensions and power reserve, frames the discussion around the aesthetic and technical merits of these new releases. The post particularly draws attention to the distinctive 'Bifur' typeface and the limited-edition 'Cabriolet de Lempicka Velvet Teal' with its hand-painted caseback miniatures.
Among the
new releases unveiled by the revived
Universal Genève, the
one that
pleases me the most and
inspires real
respect is the
creation of the
Caliber UG-111.
Creating such a
beautiful shaped,
hand-wound caliber truly
deserves praise, imo.
Dimensions: 27 x 3 x 17.5 mm
Power reserve: approximately 72 hours
Balance frequency: 21,600 a/h or 3 hertz
Unfortunately, the only
images currently available that allow us to see the
movement inside the watch
case are those of the diamond-set
Cabriolet Red, ref. UGCA004.
Among the
Cabriolet Prêt-à-Porter series, my favorite is the
Cabriolet Black, ref. UGCA002, with its
black dial and polished 18K
rose gold case and matching
nine-row bracelet.
The
typeface used on the
dial is called “
Bifur”: it was conceived to be
bold, highly
legible—even in motion—and visually
dynamic.
Its distinctive use of contrasting line weights creates the subtle illusion of being both heavy and light at once.
It was designed by
Cassandre, pseudonym of
Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron (1901-1968), who was a
French painter, commercial poster
artist, and typeface
designer.
credit: Wikipedia
And, of course, it's hard to remain unmoved by the Cabriolet “capsule edition”: the Cabriolet de Lempicka Velvet Teal.
The
caseback showcases a
hand-painted miniature, created by
Isabelle Villa, of one of three
Tamara de Lempicka masterpieces.
Tamara Łempicka (1894 - 1980), known outside Poland as Tamara de Lempicka, was a Polish painter who spent her working life in France and the United States.
credit: makingqueerhistory.com & Sotheby's's
The example below, also shown above, features the painting representing Docteur Boucard.
Only
15 pieces will be made in total:
5 pieces for
each of the
three paintings.
5 other pieces will feature the autoportrait Tamara in Green Bugatti.
And 5 last pieces will feature the Portrait of Mrs Bush.
To
conclude this post, here's an
original Universal Genève “
Cabriolet”, from which the new models are inspired.
The model was first launched in 1933 as the “Ideo”.
And here's an
advertisement for the original “
Ideo”.
credit: Universal Genève press release kit, except otherwise mentioned.
Do you share my enthusiasm for the creation of the Caliber UG-111?
Thanks for reading.
Best, Emmanuel
