UG Contax serial number

Hello dear OF experts,
What do you think, can a Contax watch possibly have a 587XXX serial?
All I have ever seen have serial numbers 607XXX or greater.

Thanks,
M.

Hi,

I don't know about early 587XXX ... but I know at least 2 contax with serial number starting with 606XXX.

Sorry, I don´t quite understand why pictures are needed for a "theoretical" question.
The question is - have you ever seen a UG Contax watch with a serial lower than 600XXX, or to be exact, 587XXX? How will a photo help??

But to satisfy your need for a picture - here is a photo of the caseback of a watch which has a ss case, cal. 285 movement and a "CONTAX" signed dial...:


The dial (plexi removed) looks like this:


N.B. First photo is not mine but from the person I am discussing the purchase of the watch with. The second photo is from my watchmaker who now has it on his workdesk....

Thanks for a serious reply.

Thanks, @Larry S !
I understand perfectly the importance of pictures. I hope those two help.
In this case I am really asking more in general, although yes - I obviously have a particular watch in mind - the one in the pictures.

My own research led me to older discussions saying that known Contaxes are in the S/N range approx. 605XXX - 620XXX. I have only seen a few with serial numbers visible and they were mostly 607XXX.
(For example here: https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/lot-216-258 , here: https://www.kaplans.se/en/auktioner/3218/vara/1320838 , or here: https://www.officechronograph.com/manufactures/universal-geneve-contax/ )
The one sold at Phillips in 2015 was a 630XXX:
( https://www.phillips.com/detail/universal/CH080515/238 )
One discussed in 2007 here was a 633XXX.

I have noticed here on OF that @Florent has 2 examples, but I didn’t find any info on serial numbers. I have seen a few more on Instagram, but no info on serial given...

587XXX seems a bit too early to me... but if it is a 1936 serial, there might be some possibility the case(back) is correct. I have no doubts about the dial (maybe except the hour+minute hands, which definitely are relumed, but quite possibly not original at all).
On a Watchuseek forum I have found a copy of the original patent for Contax, which was placed in 1936. The name Contax was registered in 1935.
In Sala there are a lot of watches dated before 1937, when the brand name “Universal Geneve” was registered, which have their dials marked “Universal Geneve” (e.g. pages 120, 123, 134, 140, 141, 142 - all Compurs, obviously), something that should theoretically be impossible, as such a brand name did not exist at that point in time...
The oldest Compax in Sala is S/N 645XXX dated to 1937.

Thanks!

Merci, @Florent .
Sala does not give excessive detail on the Contaxes and there is just one reference shown.
He informs that the name “Contax” was registered in November 1935.
In this forum the information is a bit more precise:
“On 19 November 1935 the Contax name was registered by Universal Watch co.
On 13 February 1936 Martel Watch co. deposited their first patent for a chronograph with hour counter.
An additional patent was deposited on 8th December 1937. […]
One can deduct that the first chronograph with three subdials (including hour counter) was made by Martel in 1936 (far ahead of the competition), but the movement was still being improved...“
So theoretically Contaxes could have been made as early as the beginning of 1936. But can a S/N 587XXX be from 1936?
And how come all other known Contaxes have serials of 605XXX and more? If I could see at least one other Contax with a close enough serial I would feel much more comfortable. 😀
Among Sala’s references there is a 583XXX Compur stated to be 1935 and a 593XXX to be 1936. (Btw. How can Sala be so exact regarding the dates?? Pure interpolation?)