Since the time I began taking an interest in watches, first as a digester of images and much later as a dabbler in what one might call the "affordables" category, I've never been particularly drawn to diver watches. Instead, my almost exclusive interest has been in what I eventually came to learn are broadly referred to as "dress" watches. The types of dress watches I have long been most drawn to from an aesthetic perspective usually feature a simple, clean and warm quality which I have found to be exemplified in watches such as vintage Omega, Longines and Universal Geneve, among many others - like what they say about the distinction pornography vs art: difficult to define precisely, but you know it when you see it.

Then it happened....I saw photographs of the first and second generation Polerouter Sub. Not dress watches, not 35/36mm...much larger...and yet - something clean and warm. In my view, few things can beat the visual elegance of the 1st generation Sub's internal bezel, its restained yet generously proportioned dial markers, it's minimal yet unstingy bezel markers and the unpretentious utilitarianism of its hands (not to mention that beautiful dome). With the 1st generation Sub, especially the first iteration, I thought I had seen all that I would ever hope to see in diver watch....until...I laid my eyes on photos of the second generation Sub!

I couldn't believe the chunky beauty of the number marker font, the thoughtful distinction between minute and hour markers (note how in so many other watches, they are almost the same thickness (kind of like in poorly balanced time series plot where the gridlines and plot line itself are expressed in the same colour and thickness and thus compete for the same visual bandwith) and those hands! What are those kinds of hands even called?! Whatever they're called, they are distinctive and just perfect for the context. Just looking at either a first generation or second generation sub, one can amlost feel the dankness, one can feel the "sub" (kind of like catching a whiff of sunscreen in the wintertime - an unmistakable and unshakable connotation of summer).

So...the diver watch never at all spoke to me before I first saw the first generation Polerouter Sub, at which point I could not conceive there could be any greater perfection. My mind was therefore blown when I then saw the second generation sub. How could it be that one company could crank out so many "hits" tover and above the Dates, Compaxes, etc) in such a short period of time?

Where this all leads me is to inquire whether it is just me, or are 2nd generation subs a rare breed as far as public sales are concerned? I simply don't see them. Perhaps it's also the same for first gen Subs and maybe it's the prevalence of fakes that has skewed my mental map of the 1st gen vs 2nd Gen sales balance. In any event, thanks for listening to my insomnia fuelled ramble...

 

I've long felt that the 60's Polerouter Subs are among the most underrated dive watches in vintage. Microrotor movements that are beautifully finished, asymmetrical cases, integrated cyclops magnifiers on the interior of the crystal, and funky lume plots. They're truly unique takes on a dive watch, and I think the relative scarcity of "correct" Subs makes them even more attractive. I have no doubt that they'll eventually have their day in the sun.

That day may be soon arriving, though. There was an example in the recent Phillips auction that sold for 8,750 CHF (https://www.phillips.com/detail/UNIVERSAL/CH080515/204) and had a Speedy seconds sweep hand! One of the most ridiculous sales I've seen. I suppose when they rarely come up for sale (and the ones that do typically have something wrong), however, the winner was willing to try to source a seconds hand over the years. Either way, will be interesting to watch.

Here are my two babies:

 

Indeed - I completely forgot to mention the charm of the asymmetrical case.

Re: Here are my two babies: any inclination to go for the hat trick?

Cheers

 

Ha, no probably not. Two is enough.

 

You, Sir, are a paragon of restraint - good on you!

 

Ha, it has more to do with their lack of supply and the drain that pre-moon Speedies have / will continue to put on my wallet!

 

Love these Subs....and their siblings....

 

What a gorgeous family. Over the course of the next few years, I hope to add a second generation Polerouter sub to my own family, which includes two black Polerouter dates (pics forthcoming as soon as one returns from service). It will be a gift to myself to celebrate a promotion I am working towards (fingers crossed). In the meantime, i'll keep my eyes open for a white/silver dialed Polerouter/Polerouter date. While the first generation sub is what hooked me into the diver scene in the first place, I have an "affordables" nod produced by Landeron, Miyota movement, that satisfies for now in most practical and aesthetic respects. Perhaps one day, but my eyes are on the 2nd Gen for the foreseeable future. Thanks for sharing - I wasn't even aware of the Space model.

 

I'm on the hunt for one of these too... I think as always much of the appeal comes from the rarity, and the arduous nature of the hunt. If they were as common as a sub for example, I don't think anyone would care. Good luck finding a nice one, hopefully we won't be bidding against each other [emoji6]

 

Best of luck to you on your search. I don’t expect we’ll be involved in a race to the bottom any time soon – if there’s anything this forum has taught me, It’s be patient/haste makes waste. If ever in doubt of this, I have a receipt for the newbie tax I paid on my first vintage/mechanical watch (redial) as a sobering reminder.

I understand the fun that some have in the journey /hunt. I do enjoy that aspect in other areas of my life – in discovering music, for example, or enriching my knowledge of subjects related to my profession, etc. With watches, however, I do not find the hunt particularly fun or fulfilling (least of all conducive to a good night’s sleep!). Instead, I see it as more of a practical, necessary step, like going out to find and purchase a new suit – draining more than thrilling, but necessary. By hunt here, I mean pursuing a piece I’ve set my mind on acquiring. In contrast, I very much enjoy learning about watches and seeing the variety of interesting specimens out there – I do not grow tired of this and do consider it a lot of fun.

Likewise, the rarity of a piece does not figure prominently, if at all, in my calculus of what I admire. While this is the case for me, I do understand that it is part of the charm for some.

As for the sub in question, I will keep looking at them from the perspective of admiration, but not in view of acquiring one anytime soon. If I do get the promotion I am working towards in a few years (Vice President of the company where I work), then I will use that as an excuse to seek one out and buy it should one be available.

In the meantime, I will take another lesson I’ve learned here to heart: you don’t have to own every watch you admire. The Memovox exemplifies this for me – it is among the watches I admire the most and consider it one of the all-time archetypes of that kind of look and function. While I admire it very much, I have no intention of ever buying one. Another example is the Speedmaster. I can look at them all day, and probably have on a few occasions, but I don’t envision looking to buy one any time soon, if ever (the Constellation, on the other hand, is a piece I would never say never about, despite no immediate or foreseeable plans to look for one).

My plan is fairly simple:

(A) Enjoy: enjoy the small collection I already have, using my two black Polerouter Dates as my daily wearers and others (such as digital Casio or Lagonda manual wind) on weekends/casual days.

(B) Modestly Round out: over the next few years or longer (no particular rush) find a silver/white-dialed Polerouter date/no date to round off the two black ones I already have. Like suits or shoes, a rotation will best preserve.

(C) Reward Once: years from now, use a special occasion such as major promotion as an excuse to look seriously for a second generation Polerouter Sub (a basic modern Landeron now satisfies my visual appetite for a first generation Polerouter Sub)

(D) De-Clutter: eventually, consider giving away or selling some of the watches that I’ve picked up along the way if they don’t serve a purpose in the small stable/if they clutter it. I see myself more as a wearer than collector.

Anyhow, best of luck and thanks for listening.

p.s. Another lesson I’ve learned is not to underestimate the power of self-delusion!

 

Great first post.
Like you I've fallen in love with the UG Sub.
There's a specific configuration of the 2nd execution that I'm almost hoping doesn't pop up any time soon else I'd HAVE to find the money for.
I found it amusing that there's even an 'homage' being made now of it. Close but no cigar.

Are there any watches of the era that look like the 2nd UG sub?
I saw this Florus which is close to the 1st sub, but it may be even more rare than the UG haha!

(picture courtesy of Taswell from WUS)

 

Re: second generation, I haven't found anything that comes close to ticking all the boxes. Where there are similarities, I've found they relate to the font, such as in the vintage Oris diver below (and its recent reissue). I've seen many more instances of "close" resemblance to the first generation sub, including in relation to the internal bezel, the cleanness of font, etc.
The second generation seems to stand a bit further apart from the others. For example, I have not seen a similar type of hand on any other vintage sub (or modern one, for that matter).