Universal Genève Dress Watch | Art Deco 1940s | Reference 7273
A Geometric Jewel from the Dawn of Modern Elegance
This Universal Genève dress watch, dating to the refined Art Deco period of the 1940s, exemplifies the Maison’s graceful transition into modernist design with a distinct square form and finely sculpted lugs. Reference 7273, with serial number 702104, is a wearable piece of horological architecture—compact in size yet rich in character and detail.
Sculpted Steel and Blue Steel
The 26.5 x 26.5 mm steel case is crisply executed with elegant, sharply angled lugs—a subtle but deliberate nod to the Art Deco design language of geometric purity and refined symmetry. The original unsigned crown nestles neatly into the case lines, preserving the visual balance.
Framing the watch is its original mineral glass, lightly worn and evenly aged, further underscoring its honest vintage provenance. Beneath it lies a clean, ultra-minimalist Universal Genève-signed dial with delicate patina forming across its matte silver tone—a soft echo of decades past.
The hands, fashioned in heat-blued steel, shimmer vividly in shifting light and sweep across the original small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock with poise.
A Swiss Heart, Hand-Wound
Inside beats the venerable Universal Genève calibre 259, a manually wound movement consistent with the brand’s high standards in the pre-quartz golden era. Its small seconds complication and robust reliability make it an understated but true companion for the discerning collector or design enthusiast.
Classic Leather, Locally Crafted
This particular piece is paired with a handmade black leather strap crafted in Belgium, echoing the quiet luxury and heritage nature of the watch. Soft, supple, and subtly stitched, it elevates the piece from vintage timepiece to an everyday artefact of style.
Key Specifications
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Reference: 7273
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Serial Number: 702104
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Case: Stainless steel, 26.5 x 26.5 mm
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Dial: Original Universal Genève, minimalistic with natural patina
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Crystal: Original mineral glass, minor wear
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Hands: Blue steel, small seconds subdial at 6 o'clock
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Movement: Manual-wind Universal Genève Cal. 259
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Crown: Original, unsigned
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Strap: Black Belgian handmade leather
For Collectors of Quiet Sophistication
This Universal Genève square dress watch is not about flamboyance—it’s about design purity, proportion, and historic charm. A rare and honest piece from an era where watches were symbols of refinement, not status.
Understated, geometric, and full of soul—this is Art Deco elegance on your wrist.
