Reference 5123

Mark020 · Jun 12, 2023

I have yet to find a 4 digit starting with a 2 or 3. Based on 180 examples this is what it looks like. Serial on Y and reference on X

Mark020 · Jun 12, 2023

bgrisso
Anyhow OP, what is the history on this watch?

Acquired at an auction last month…

bgrisso · Jun 12, 2023

CaptainWinsor
My 1938 Zenith/Universal catalogues have 4 digit references starting with 2 and 3 so I have to assume those starting with 5 would be later.

can you remind us of what those are ?

bgrisso · Jun 12, 2023

Mark020
I have yet to find a 4 digit starting with a 2 or 3. Based on 180 examples this is what it looks like. Serial on Y and reference on X

on another note, has anyone noticed there the Sala archives pics are 5 digit reference only? I can't find a single example in there of an archvies pic for a 4 digit reference. Never really thought about that before. Did UG not keep archives pics for 4 digit references? Or they are lost?

martinc · Jun 12, 2023

I have a reference 5125 (a steel Contax, from 1937, serial 630xxx) and I used to have two 5175, both from approx 1939 (serials 733xxx and 769xxx), one is a UG Compur and one is a Uweco Compur, both chrome cased and with olive pushers.
Apart from that I know about a ref 5126 black dial Contax (serial 630xxx as well).
That’s about as close as I can get……

The UG archives -for some reason- cover only the 5 digit references… It’s strange that they kept no archive before. Maybe because the ref numbers were not linked neither to case style, nor to case material and were purely chronological? Or maybe they weren’t… Who knows… 😀

CaptainWinsor · Jun 13, 2023

bgrisso
can you remind us of what those are ?

I’ll upload pics when I figure out what’s going on. Pics won’t display when I reply

MattiKoskimies · Jun 14, 2023

UG after sales informed that they did not have any information on 5123.
They offered the services of their archives guy for Sfr 186/hour, max 2 hours.
Do not guarantee the result.
Anyone have experience of this service?
Money wasted?

martinc · Jun 14, 2023

M MattiKoskimies
UG after sales informed that they did not have any information on 5123.
They offered the services of their archives guy for Sfr 186/hour, max 2 hours.
Do not guarantee the result.
Anyone have experience of this service?
Money wasted?

I don´t think UG has an archive of the 4-digit references. If they did, I am quite sure it would be cited in Sala or elsewhere (like here for example: https://universalgeneve.info/ ). And even for the 5-digit archived references they only give very general info without any details on authenticity of the particular watch etc.

Mark020 · Jun 14, 2023

M MattiKoskimies
Money wasted?

Most probably yes. Don't think they will be able to tell you a lot. What do you want to hear anyway?

CaptainWinsor · Jun 17, 2023

4 digit reference from this 1938 catalogue

bgrisso · Jun 17, 2023

CaptainWinsor
4 digit reference from this 1938 catalogue

cool, thx. That's what I was wondering, when you mentioned 4 digit refs starting with 2 or 3, if they were chronos or time only

CaptainWinsor · Jun 18, 2023

bgrisso
cool, thx. That's what I was wondering, when you mentioned 4 digit refs starting with 2 or 3, if they were chronos or time only

chronos also start with 2

bgrisso · Jun 18, 2023

CaptainWinsor
chronos also start with 2

lovely, I’ll take them both 😀

CaptainWinsor · Jun 18, 2023

How about the original fitbit

Mark020 · Jun 19, 2023

bgrisso
lovely, I’ll take them both 😀

Find me one... All early Compurs I found have a 5/6/7 reference (if they have one). And that may be a clue: perhaps the 1-4 ones don't have the reference inscribed. Ref 2038 from above may be a good example to search for 😉

BTW intruiging to see that ref 2038 has 'Universal Watch' and ref 2039 'Universal Geneve'