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Breitling acquires Universal Geneve

gatorcpa
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fizz fizz
I was wondering what the price of UG's Tri-Compax range would have been back in the 40's compared to say a similar offering from PP (1518? though I suspect I'm getting my periods and eras mixed up here)
I can answer half of your question.

upload_2023-12-13_16-21-14.jpeg


The ad is dated 1947, see lower left. At that time, I believe that Patek Philippe and Universal Geneve were both distributed in the U.S. by Henri Stern Watch Agency. My guess is that a Patek Ref. 1518 would have been substantially more expensive than $155 in steel. Even then it was “if you need to ask, then you can’t afford it.”
gatorcpa
 
Beepos
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I hope it isn't like the Montblanc Minerva acquisition. Where Montblanc puts out "Minerva" chrobos which are ridiculously expensive

Personally, I hope Breitling will position UG upmarket from their core brand. Something in the JLC range would be perfect

I think people expecting 35-37mm watches are gonna be dissapointed. 38-41mm is my guess. The days of 35 mm modern watches are gone.
 
Pastorbottle
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It’s one thing to by a defunct brand for a price, but then you’re gonna need to cough more fun tickets up to do the R&D etc. and even more drinking vouchers will need to be spent on promotion.
If you go in half arsed, and the bloody things don’t work properly or no one buys it because no one knows it exists, then you’ve just pissed your $70m up against the wall!

A lazy 70 is bugger all compared to the spend required before you’ll be able to get a return on the investment.
 
Mark020
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Seriously can’t understand that amount
 
Fallout Boy
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
I can answer half of your question.

upload_2023-12-13_16-21-14.jpeg


The ad is dated 1947, see lower left. At that time, I believe that Patek Philippe and Universal Geneve were both distributed in the U.S. by Henri Stern Watch Agency. ”
gatorcpa

may someone please enlighten me: 😀

+++++++
Patek Philippe's Henri Stern dies at 91 - JCK Online
upload_2023-12-14_10-59-43.png

jckonline.com
https://www.jckonline.com › pate...

·Diese Seite übersetzen
01.10.2002 — 21 in Geneva, Switzerland. He was 91. Stern was the son of the man who made dials exclusively?? for Patek Philippe and bought the brand in 1932.

+++++

Is Henri Stern also the producer of OMEGA-dials?
 
aap
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The USD 70 M purchase amount is a major windfall for Stellux HK which has a value of approx USD 55M (assets net liabiliies, as per their B/S http://www.stelux.com/eng/ir/report/annual2023/annual2023_08.pdf)

The UG collector in me would love for Breitling to rightfully position UG along the lines of JLC; the brand practitioner in me though, knows how difficult that would be considering how UG has been in the dark ages since the late 70s. Yes, we watch nerds know and love UG, but let's face it, it doesn't have the brand equity it has with non-watch nerds that JLC has nurtured over the recent decades. So, sure, the USD 70M purchase might be a steal, but Breitling will have to spend so much more to bring back UG to its rightful place.
 
Mark020
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I'm really wondering what in the world is included besides the name. USD 70m can never be 10x profit or something similar.
 
spacemission
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aap aap
The USD 70 M purchase amount is a major windfall for Stellux HK which has a value of approx USD 55M (assets net liabiliies, as per their B/S http://www.stelux.com/eng/ir/report/annual2023/annual2023_08.pdf)

The UG collector in me would love for Breitling to rightfully position UG along the lines of JLC; the brand practitioner in me though, knows how difficult that would be considering how UG has been in the dark ages since the late 70s. Yes, we watch nerds know and love UG, but let's face it, it doesn't have the brand equity it has with non-watch nerds that JLC has nurtured over the recent decades. So, sure, the USD 70M purchase might be a steal, but Breitling will have to spend so much more to bring back UG to its rightful place.

UG? ☕

What is next? AG? BP? FCG? OMG? PPG? RLX? TG? VCG? 🤦
 
jumpingsecond
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Mark020 Mark020
I'm really wondering what in the world is included besides the name. USD 70m can never be 10x profit or something similar.

Stelux had nothing going with UG really. They had no profit and were likely at losses year after year. I think 70mm was just for the name /rights /patents/blue prints etc. And possibly that one guy Mathias who sat in the back office answering emails from us nerds trying to get extracts..
 
pspagano2099
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dsio dsio
I think the most likely thing to see is some somewhat complicated watches hitting the market including perpetual calendars powered by Breitling or ETA base movements with Kelek piggybacks since Breitling fully owns Kelek and they’re responsible for the bulk of their significant complications like on the Montbrilliant.

Or at the very least a micro-rotored and super decorated Sellita Polerouter!
 
Larry S
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jumpingsecond jumpingsecond
Stelux had nothing going with UG really. They had no profit and were likely at losses year after year. I think 70mm was just for the name /rights /patents/blue prints etc. And possibly that one guy Mathias who sat in the back office answering emails from us nerds trying to get extracts..
As I said before, from what I heard, the archives. parts inventory were carted off by interested parties. I kind of imagine the requests for extracts was the equivalent of all of us sitting with the Sala book and old adverts every day.
 
O
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Personally, I'd love to see them revive the Shadow line. Aside from "Gilt Shadow" being the coolest name for a watch I've ever heard, they had some really stunning designs.

2963-UG-wrist_720x_crop_center.progressive.jpg
 
Mark020
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jumpingsecond jumpingsecond
I think 70mm was just for the name /rights /patents/blue prints etc.
But any patent will be void anyway I assume. And I am really a big UG fan but this forum is the only online place with action. The legacy is really nice but the current value is (IMHO) a fraction of the price paid
 
spacemission
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aap aap
Seriously?

If you can write vacheron & constantin, why not universal geneve?

I had a good friend, connaisseur de la marque universal geneve. He never said UG and he never wrote UG.
 
Larry S
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Mark020 Mark020
But any patent will be void anyway I assume. And I am really a big UG fan but this forum is the only online place with action. The legacy is really nice but the current value is (IMHO) a fraction of the price paid
I’d say the first order of business is to get the legal protections on the brand up to date.
 
Larry S
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spacemission spacemission
If you can write vacheron & constantin, why not universal geneve?

I had a good friend, connaisseur de la marque universal geneve. He never said UG and he never wrote UG.
We use UG because we have lazy fingers when actually contributing to this sub forum.
 
aap
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spacemission spacemission
If you can write vacheron & constantin, why not universal geneve?

I had a good friend, connaisseur de la marque universal geneve. He never said UG and he never wrote UG.

Good for you! And wow, thanks for sharing that UG connoisseurs should never use UG. That means several UG sub-forum stalwarts are not "connoisseurs" 👎

By the way, to clarify: abberviating the names of watches isn't allowed, but not capitalizing their first letters is? What other rules should I know?
Edited:
 
bgrisso
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spacemission spacemission
UG? ☕

What is next? AG? BP? FCG? OMG? PPG? RLX? TG? VCG? 🤦

Not that it really matters, but UG has been the norm on this forum as long as I can remember. Not sure if that’s the case elsewhere or not, but you are swimming against the tide on this one
 
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