Universal Genève Polerouter De Luxe Caliber 138SS

Subexplorer shares his journey to acquire a Universal Genève Polerouter De Luxe, a vintage timepiece with a rich history tied to the Scandinavian Airlines System's pioneering transpolar flights. His essay details the watch's unique features, including its early Caliber 138SS 'bumper' movement and a rare 'Freccero' retailer signature on the dial. Subexplorer's passion for vintage watches and their historical connections shines through in this personal account.

Universal Geneve Polarouter De Luxe

Hello Friends!

Encouraged by the invitation of Nicolas, after showing his own beautiful Pelerouter Diver watch, I wish to share now, a different version of the famous "Polerouter" model from Universal.

This piece arrived to my hands some time ago, after some time searching for an example of this interesting model.

My interest in this type, resided in its well known connection with the Scandinavian airways company SAS, and the history of their pioneer transpolar flight, which together with the classic lines of this watch, added enthusiasm and color to the search.

With that background, it was a total lucky and surpresive event when I crossed paths with the watch I´m showing below. It was just a matter of love at first sight to view it, and deciding to take it home with me.

But Llove is one thing, and Conquest is another completely different one!

Adquisition was not so easy. Price requested by its owner, was out of my thoughts.

Patience and diplomacy, are some of the arts collectors need to show from time to time. After several days of talks and calls, I finally reached a deal with its owner, and the watch was finally mine.

This particular watch, has a couple of additional details which made it more desirable to me:

First, this one was made during the first year of production after this model was launch (1954/1955), just after the historical Polar Flight made by SAS, and it employs the automatic caliber 138SS (bumper).

In spite of its fine working and reliability, this movement was changed in 1955/56 by a new caliber equipped with micro rotor which was famous with the brand.

The second attraction, was on its beautifuly patinated brown dial. It shows the name of a very famous and prestigious jewelry and watch shop of our neighbourgh Country, Uruguay. "Freccero" (that´s the name of the shop) was established in 1868, in a shop at number 563 of 25 de Mayo street, Montevideo, which is still in operation.

This shop was since its origins, Official Agent of some of the most prestigious Swiss brands, like Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Rolex, etc..





As a matter of fact, some years ago, I let go a nice Patek Philippe watch marked Freccero on its dial, and that was a piece I always regreted to lose for not deciding its purchase fast enough.

I always considered as very interesting and desirable, those vintage watches having the name of an important & legendary jewelry or watch shop on the dial, together with the maker´s own markings. Such the case of  firms like Tiffany´s, Serpico & Laino, and Freccero, among others, whose names appear on the dials of prestigious watch makers.

As we well know, there were few the shops which could request such a compliment from the High End Swiss makers, and I can imagine they should mantain some strict requisites for them to accept to put their names on the dial. Just a few European Firms, and some few in the whole American Continent got that honor and distinction.

There is an additional detail in this watch: you may see it is marked "Polarouter" on the dial. It was the original name for this model, which was changed a bit later for the more well known name of "Polerouter".

The use of the old name is explained in being this example among the first series made.

I would like to tell, that while researching the history of this model, I observed in various places the symbol of the airways company SAS, with which the Model is so intimately related.

When finding this symbol, my mind inmediately remembered a little piece I keep in my pocket knife collection, which had remained unidentified for some time.

I went for my collection box, where I keep some of my pieces, and found it inside. As I had thought, the little pen knife was related with my watch.

This pen knife I show in the photographs: its handle was made with the exact emblem used by SAS pilots.

It was made in Solingen, Germany, by a well known German Cutler firm around the 1950´s. I guess these attractive pen knives were presented in those far years, to SAS passengers just before embarking on their planes.

Can you imagine such a present to passangers today? Just before boarding?

Today, when we can´t pass the pre boarding check with a little Swiss Army Knife or a nail cutter in your pockets?

How times had changed!

The Universal Geneve & Scandinavian Airlines connection.

For many years, the prestigious firm of Universal Geneve, kept supplying SAS crews with their watches, taking advantage of the reliability and tough construction of their products, which made them ideal for flight use, which made them being adopted as their "official watch".

During the 1950´s a few years after WWII, flight techniques received many great advances, which allowed for higher altitude flights, more speed, and longer distances covered without need to land for refuelling. That´s thanks to better instruments, comunication systems, radar, etc., and the development of better engines.

This new panorama, encouraged SAS to experiment and adopt new air routes which, crossing by the North Pole, could reduce the actual distance and of course time, required to travel from Europe to the Western USA coast. So, it was on November 15th 1954, a SAS DC6-B Douglas named "Helge Viking", made its first flight between Copenhagen and Los Angeles, California.

This flight arrived to Los Angeles, on the 16th of November, after 27 hours and 15 minutes after taking off from Copenhagen. The real air time, was 24 hours and 25 minutes. This new record was known all world around as one of the biggest commercial air transport accomplishment of that time.

To celebrate this so important flight, Universal Geneve launched in 1954 a new watch line, which they appropiately called "Polarouter". This line was designed by famous designer Gerald Genta who, among other clients had Patek (Nautilus line) and Audemars Piguet (Royal Oak).

La publicidad de la época, de la fábrica Universal Geneve, supo sacar partido del prestigio que suponía ser el proveedor oficial de la empresa de aeronavegación SAS, y del hecho que ésta realizara el importante logro técnico para la época, de introducir una ruta aérea que atravesara el Polo Norte.











For this new model, Universal employed their bumper caliber 138 SS, which was the same movement used in their previous SAS pilots watches.

A year later, Universal changed the name of their new model, from Polarouter, to Polerouter, changing their traditional caliber 138 SS, by the newly developed caliber 215, equipped with micro rotor.

In the following 12 years, Universal introduced several sub models, in their Polerouter line, like the De Luxe, Date, Jet, Super, etc., including the diving line as shown by Nicolas.

 A Fortunate find:  

My own Polarouter De Luxe  has the reference number 102-34-3, got a 18K gold case with a screw back, and is equipped as said, with a 138SS movement inside. This caliber is a development of the previous model 138 with auxiliary seconds, while the 138 SS got a central seconds hand.

Caliber 138 SS has a 28,2 mm diameter, with 17 jewels, 18.000 bph, Incablock and Nivarox spring. Automatic system depends on a "bumper" rotor, with exposed springs as stops.

This watch got a dark brown dial, which now shows a nice patina on its surface, which adds much character to the dial.

Main inscriptions are made in gold, with a thin gold "cross wire" which divides the dial in 4 sectors.

The inscriptions "Polarouter", "De Luxe" and "Freccero" are made in white lettering.

The combination of brown dial surface, and gold lettering, beautifully mate the internal gold ring of the minutes scale, which is a distinctive feature of this model, in most of its versions.





 I wish you´ll enjoy viewing this old watch, and reading about its history, and thank in advance for your kind attention.

Very cordially, Abel.