Hi all

So this weird thing happen to me as I was bidding home (what I thought was) Longines Tre Tacche. I have been wanting one for a while so I pulled a trigger on one of the local auctions with super bad pics but the case clearly indictated that it was Longines (smaller 32 mm version)

So a week later the package arrived and my first sight was the case back witch looked correct. 3 notches as expected....


Flipped the case and the front looked as it supposed to at first glance. Robust case with well defined stepped bezel.

Next when I closely inspected the radium patineted dial my eyes flipped .
Instead of Longines there was UNIVERSAL Geneve text on it .



My first thought was that someone must have been playing with this watch exchanging the dial in lack of original Longines dial. So next thing I did was to carefully open the case and check the inside.
Same things gain!!! All signed Universal Geneve..
Inside looks pretty good actually and the movement is UG 251 which according to ranfft.de is (unknown variant of the Aurore-Villeret 232)


The inside of the case back is signed UG & Enversteel as well and there is also a small Hallmark "813 EF ". If anyone knows what that means please let me know.


The backside is stamped with what it looks to be case ref 7501 and the serial nr according to my research dates the watch to approximately 1938 ish.

The bars are 16 mm and fixed. The case looks like the watch has been used but the edges are well defined. Don't know if it has been polished.


I googled for several hours trying to find another watch like this one or at least similar but the closest I could get is the an old thread here on OF started by @valjoux72 . It's about Colonial UG and I see that they had 3 notches case as well. Here is the link

https://omegaforums.net/threads/universal-tre-tacche-colonial-wristwatch.75152/

The watch runs but it need a service indeed.
Anyway, that's all for now .
I hope you enjoy the reading and please let me know if anyone has any info about this watch. Would be very cool to know more.

Cheers Kapka

 

Many brands used the tre tacche case besides Longines, I have had an Eterna for example.
I belive @Radiumpassion have showed a couple of them from other brands here on the forum?

 

I believe this may be a Colonial model. Will check my 1937 catalogue when I get home

 

There is a catalog of all models? That would be great if you could check.
Thanks!

 

There may have been other Colonial models, but here's one from an old Italian catalogue, and it's actually somewhat relevant, in that it is housed in a case that most collectors would (correctly) associate with Mido. It's an "FB" (Taubert) case which Mido used in high production, but UG also apparently used in much lower production.

The OP's example is actually less uncommon, at least in terms of the case type having been used by a variety of manufacturers.

 

Looks legit to me. And an extremely nice example!

 

this is from a Zenith/Universal catalogue from 1937. I have another, that is also from 37 and if I remember correctly, the OPs model is in that one. Will be home later tonight and will post the Colonial regardless whether it matches.

interestingly, there is also a Zenith version of the UG Colonial

 

Looking forward!!

 

I was sure that is was some sort of mix but honestly everything looks like it is original. I had no chance to see the close up on the dial and was just not expecting UG at all.

 

I think you got a great piece there.

 

Ok. So not what I remembered but equally as interesting. Especially to all you UG enthusiasts

 

Congrats on a fantastically interesting find.

I always enjoy seeing details like the stamped three digits on the lug matching the final three digits of the serial.

I don't recall seeing anything similar to the stamped mark below the logo inside the case back. Could it just be that a particularly tidy and fastidious watchmaker stamped his mark rather than etched it following a service?

 

Mido through and though!

 

Thanks for the comment, didn't think that watchmakers could do such mark as it looks like it's machined but of course. Watchmakers back then were much more serious and technically advanced .

 

Very nice and interesting, I’ve seen a couple Ebel watches posted or on auction with tre tacche case (nearly bid on one for that matter), and an anonymous one.
UG is a pretty cool find with all of the requisite markings.

 

What a beautiful dial, very nice example you got there!!

 

Thank you Syrte, indeed it's was a strange and interesting find. These moments make this hobby so exciting

 

Found this on Ebay, but not sure if legitPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

Cal 262, double signed and nice even patina. Good piece. Back is a bit chewed up but you don’t see that.