Polarouter Advert

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CafeRacer

·Jun 15, 2019

Vitezi

The UG ad from October 1956 initially led me astray because of its similar text promoting "11 different models" and "global protected watch." But it did indicate UG was advertising a family of Polarouters in magazines issued in the second half of 1956.

The 11 models would be either be:
a) the Pola versions: (20214-1 to 6, and 20217-1 to 5... the SAS 6 wasnt publically available); or
b) the Pole versions: (S20214-1 to 6, and S20217-1 to 5... there was no -6 ref for S cases that ive seen).

The further Pole models (subreferences 7 to 14 and 7 to 10) seem to have arrived later on, which fits with their serial ranges being much later (178xxxx-184xxxx, compared to 171xxxx-on). So the ad date (mid-late '56) fits with being from before they began production of those further subreferences.

The use of Pola when they had already switched to Pole text on the dial... that is still a weird one.

 

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Mazoue

·Jun 15, 2019

Vitezi

The Jeweler's Circular Keystone is still publishing today. The official archives are at their office in New York City:
https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/learned-baselworld-jck-archives/

I checked eBay for back issues of JCK from 1956 with no luck. Maybe a nice letter to their editor will yield some help?

Thanks. I've contacted the JCK editor as you suggested and also contacted a few libraries in the US who have a copy of the relevant issue of the journal.

I'll post a copy if I manage to get one but if anyone manages to get there first, please do let me know.

 

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Mazoue

·Jun 17, 2019

Courtesy of the University of Chicago Library. My sincerest thanks to Amy in Digital Imaging Liaison, who sent this to me free of charge.

 

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micampe

·Jun 17, 2019

I would love to see examples of the dubonnet and deep blue marker rings.

 

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Mazoue

·Jun 17, 2019

micampe

I would love to see examples of the dubonnet and deep blue marker rings.

Me too! It's raised as many questions as it has answered.

The dials on the watches do say Polerouter rather than Polarouter.

Interesting that it says 'Series 20217' and 'Series 20214' - presumably that is what the S stands for in the Polerouter case references.

It suggests that there are different coloured plain marker rings in the 20217 series i.e. the 20217/4 ring is grey and the 20217/5 ring is polished steel. This differentiation has never crossed my mind and is something I will look at more closely.

I've never seen a bumper polerouter with a ring that looked blue or could even have been blue. Have we just not found one yet? Have they aged to another colour? Was it a translational error? 'Deep blue' is an odd description.

Here is an S20217/10 that sold at auction recently. It's the example used in the gallery on the Polerouter reference website. It has the same ring as the example of the S20214/11, which we would expect based on the advert, but neither are deep blue.

Edited: Jun 17, 2019

 

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MarktheTime

·Jun 17, 2019

Mazoue

Courtesy of the University of Chicago Library. My sincerest thanks to Amy in Digital Imaging Liaison, who sent this to me free of charge.

Wow, fantastic sleuthing @Mazoue ! Surely this should somehow become a "sticky" to the UG Forum...? As well as reference to the fantastic Polerouter reference site @CafeRacer has created.
Dubonnet is a sort of eggplant-hued "wine" color, right? No idea about "deep blue." A mystery wrapped in an enigma...

Edited: Jun 17, 2019

 

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CafeRacer

·Jun 18, 2019

So, the plot twist looks like there are at least 8 different marker rings for S20214 / S20217... 😲

Edited: Aug 22, 2022

 

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Woops

·Jun 18, 2019

If the resolution of the UofC Library scan is high enough it might be possible to colour-correct the black and white advert to reveal (or not!) these mythical new marker ring shades in glorious 2019 technicolour.....

 

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Mazoue

·Jun 18, 2019

For those seeking the original advert, it is apparently on page 4 of the September 1956 issue.

The current editor of JCK also kindly responded. I've thanked her and explained that I now have a copy but suggested that they might write an article about the SAS Polarouter and the 1954 Polar flights. I'll let you know if anything comes of it.

 

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Wildboar

·Jun 18, 2019

A different picture of that 20217/10 just popped up on my instagram feed from a user called thepolerouter, I’m guessing he was the buyer. Anyway from a different angle the bezel does look blue...

 

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Tony C.

·Jun 18, 2019·Ωf Jury member

Blue bezel? Nope. Just a color correction problem.

 

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Jonatan

·Jun 18, 2019

Amazing progress.

I initially thought it took only 8 days to find this information but realized that it was actually a year. I was thinking what, Bill broke his thumb again and then I looked at the date. 🤨

I think @Mazoue might be right and that the blue and dubonnet (what is that dark red? I know it's a liquor), have probably aged to another colour and can't be distinguished from the others. The gray is pretty rare also.

 

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Woops

·Jun 19, 2019

Wildboar

A different picture of that 20217/10 just popped up on my instagram feed from a user called thepolerouter, I’m guessing he was the buyer. Anyway from a different angle the bezel does look blue...

If anything, on my screen here, to me the bezel on this one actually looks dubonnet/wine coloured with that filter on the photograph. I would never say it looked blue.

Remind you of anything? Let's take UG viral, chaps!

 

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Mazoue

·Jul 15, 2019

Below is a picture of an S20217-9. I've seen two examples and both had identical marker rings, so I think it is very likely that these rings are correct for this reference. According to the advert, these should be "deep grey".

I wonder whether the word "deep" is a translational error in the advert.

 

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Vitezi

·Jul 15, 2019

Mazoue

I wonder whether the word "deep" is a translational error in the advert.

Comparing a "gray" 20217/4 (left, below) with a "deep gray" 20217/9, I notice that the hour markers are a different contrasting color. Could this contrast be what the text is referring to, or am I just seeing an odd light reflection/photo artifact?

 

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Mazoue

·Jul 15, 2019

No, the hour markers are gold coloured.

The advert describes the 20217/9 as having "gold markers on deep gray marker ring".

 

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Vitezi

·Jul 15, 2019

I notice then that the 20217/10 shown above with a "deep blue" ring, also has gold-colored markers.

 

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Mazoue

·Jul 15, 2019

Absolutely correct.

I have studied the 20217/10 closely with a loupe. The colour between the gold markers was applied to what looks like a steel ring underneath. There is a blue hue to certain areas and so it is quite conceivable that the ring was blue was between the gold hour markers.

 

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Vitezi

·Jul 15, 2019

Perhaps the term "deep" referred to the color contrast between the (gold) hour markers and underlying ring, as opposed to a shade of color in the ring itself.

 

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CafeRacer

·Jul 15, 2019

Hopefully we can get a whole bunch of them together at the November GTG and compare the colourings...!