Why We Love It

There are Polerouters, and then there are Polerouters. This, dear friends, sits squarely in the latter category. 

If you don't know the story of the Polerouter (the watch formerly known as POLARouter) skip down a little bit. 

Its ok, we'll wait . . . 

Welcome back. In the world of collectable Polerouters, some variations stand on a higher plane, and this super early "broad arrow" Polerouter is rarer than hens teeth. Note the double broad arrow handset, the crisp chromed rehaut with it's matching patina. Then look at the beautiful curved lug case made by the folks a Huguenin Freres, a signed UG crown, and the deeply engraved serial numbers on the case back. This is a special watch. 

With its ties to the great Gerald Genta, stunning looks, interesting history, and quality movements, the Polerouter is finally getting the attention and praise that it rightly deserves, and this one is entirely next level.

The Story

Most of us, even the most diehard collectors, know only one watch designer by name: Gerald Genta.

The man behind the AP Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the IWC Ingenieur, Genta changed the watch industry with his luxury stainless steel sports watches with sharp 70s lines and his characteristic integrated bracelet design.  But before he could pioneer haute horology, he had cut his teeth on a more approachable timepiece; the Universal Genève Polerouter.

The Polerouter was Genta's first watch design brought to market, penned by the young Swiss designer in his early 20s. The watch was a sales success and propelled Genta’s career forward (allowing for the greats such as the Royal Oak and the Nautilus.) The first Polerouter was released in 1954 (and originally called the POLARouter) to celebrate and promote Scandinavian Airlines’ Royal Viking polar flights between New York City, Los Angeles and Europe. The flights forged a new route over the North Pole, reducing flight times between the two continents. Flying over the North Pole presented a unique set of challenges for a watch, and the Polerouter was designed to be highly resistant to magnetic fields (in addition to the usual shock and water resistance) so as to maintain accuracy during the trip.