Two excellent condition Universal Geneve Uni-Compax "Big Eye" were recently sold at Kaplans and Christie's auctions for almost twice their estimate ...

The Christie's black dial (inverted panda) version, 884100/1, reached 41.250 Swiss Francs, about 35.000€






Someone bid 360.000SEK including premium, about 35.000€, for this almost NOS 884100/2 panda version. Awesome watch ... Those blued hands are gorgeous !



This late Uni-Compax reference was produced in strictly limited quantity (about 100) between 1963 and 1965 Perfectly sized, 37mm without crown, powered by an Valjoux 23 movement.

Fewer than 20 surfaced since their production ...

I wish I had one in my collection !!

 

Possible the same guy bought them both? That'd be quite a 2-watch collection!!

 

+1

 

That would be someone who really, really loves 60' UGs

 

They are stunning...but I'm sorry just crazy crazy money.

 

i disagree. not crazy at all.

put these up side by side with the recent omega and daytona craziness and i'd take these in a new york minute

 

Well...I happen to really dislike those blued hour and minute hands. They are, to my eye, both too wide, and too flat. Notably inelegant, I would say.

As for the price, I'd much rather be the seller.

 

If you have one of that quality.. Please please sell it to me! Gladly pay auction hammer

 

Fashion is a funny thing. One could own 10-15 Roamer Stingray chronographs for the same amount of money, and they are arguably better watches.

 

Um. No. They aren't.

These will be 6 figures In a few years. Mark it down....

 

lol!

They have better cases (far more waterproof), better designed dials (for actually doing work), better balanced dials and hands, and movements (Valjoux 726) that included improvements over the V72.

With regard to prices, you sound like someone who has never experienced anything other than a bull market.

 

And this is what makes a market....

No rude awakening here... If my ug go down 90 pct I won't notice. Happy to be long my 2 big eyes which I would never sell at any price.

They are multiples undervalued against the current Speedmaster and Daytona craziness

Imo, ug from the late 50s and 60s are a one way ticket at current prices

 

I know OF loves a good photo

I mean... There aren't many watches I'd wear over that one

 

That's it ... I am selling off my UG collection and going to start collecting Timex watches

 

I did not meant this topic to be a debate over quality of UG watches, anyway everyone can express his point of view.

So here is mine. I do know nothing about « Roamer Stingray » chronograph. They are probably quality watches, but after a quick google image search, I’m sure I will never own one.

Inelegant ? Not balanced dial ?



Since I have been collecting UG, I would probably get the double of my money if I decide to sell. I have been already offered 3 times the buying price from sellers for my last black compur. Anyway I’m selling nothing just as @jhross98.

About craziness prices, I agree with you, 35k€ is a lot. To be honnest I would probably not buy at this price. Collecting watches is also about trying to buy under the market price when you have limited funds and wants to be sure of your investment. But I clearly understand someone who really wants a almost NOS full set Big Eye and have the funds pay this.

Look at Omega/Rolex prices ... about same quality but sometime x10 price !

 

Fully agree Florent ...

It is a real high when you walk past a flea market, old watchmakers, antiques or clear out shop and you see a gem sitting in the corner of the shop window, almost feeling sorry for itself and just begging to be restored to its former glory.

I am sure we have all had a few of those. Sadly, those days are few and far between now

 

I never suggested that the subject UG were not high quality watches, but the fact that some are valued at 10-15x chronographs that are as good or better in every important technical respect highlights the enormously powerful role that fashion plays in catalyzing most of the current, dizzyingly high prices found in the market.

Your photos are beautiful, and of course we are now into subjective territory. But, as I mentioned above, I find the blued hands to be too wide and (especially) flat. I also dislike the lack of continuity between the blued hands and the sub-dial hands; it's as if they belong to two completely different watches. And the colors of the hands, in contrast to the Roamer (to use just one example), are applied in such a way that they undercut the pretense of a chronograph being a real tool watch (i.e. there is no separation between the chronograph and basic time functions, coupled with the aforementioned lack of continuity).

On the other hand, I do find the dial and sub-dials to be very attractive. Also, the case finishing is both fine and attractive.

Yes, but that is simply a further reflection of a market bubble, and in my view, a dubious basis on which to value models that haven't yet reached such crazy heights!

 

The styling is really subjective indeed, I am just not into roamer.... but this is a discussion on UG thread so it is more likely people looking at them are devout UG fans

 

Yes, I agree. But to be clear, I used the Roamer only as an example of a chronograph from the same era which was technically as good or better, and at a small fraction of the price. The two watches are very different aesthetically, and I wouldn't expect most UG fans to be excited by the Stingray design.

 

The black dialled one looks a bit dodgy to me. The hands, in particular, look photoshopped https://www.christies.com/lotfinder...-fine-and-rare-stainless-6139174-details.aspx