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·I recently acquired this Universal Genève timer. I bought it on a whim, mainly for the lovely dial. Here it is with the crystal removed;
This stopwatch was manufactured by UG and distributed by Antonio Cairelli to the Italian military in the 1940s. The Bakelite case measures 87mm without crown and contains a scruffy example of the wonderful calibre 295;
Since I bought the stopwatch I have been researching precisely whereabouts in the Italian armed forces it was used. It was labelled a “diver’s timer” when I purchased it but I’m sceptical about that. I read that Panerai essentially held a monopoly over the issuance of Italian Navy technical diving instruments for at least the first half of the twentieth century. It seems unlikely that Cairelli would encroach on Panerai’s established distribution turf with this particular instrument, especially given that it offers such limited water and pressure resistance.
However, as is well documented, A. Cairelli were most definitely suppliers to the Italian Air Force during the same period. This timer certainly closely resembles the UG military aircraft instruments and dashboard chronographs and Cairelli bomb timers I’ve seen posted on this forum and elsewhere on the internet (see https://omegaforums.net/threads/the-universal-squirrel-bites-hard.9853/ ). The styling and materials are certainly familiar and the large Arabic numbers on the dial suggest it was meant to be read from a distance. However, my case lacks the embedded screw brackets I’ve seen on so many other dashboard-mounted timers and, in hand, feels surprisingly basic for a piece of aeronautical flight equipment. I understand that the ‘2-481’ faintly printed in the middle of the dial is a unique issuance number denoting the class of aircraft into which this part was installed but so far I’ve been unable to discover which one. I’d love to know which specific plane this was; answers on a postcard, please.
This example has a single crown for both winding and operating the stopwatch, consistent with the ornately-cased cal 295 civilian personal timers from the period others have posted on this forum (see https://omegaforums.net/threads/anyone-familiar-with-ug-timers.52541/). Its case has two small cross-bars attached, and conveniently sits very securely in the palm. The case back itself is scratched and scuffed, suggesting that the timer has been loose for a long time and perhaps even enjoyed a second life as a portable stopwatch on earth.
In common with other manufacturers of the era, it is striking to see the military design aesthetic of Universal Genève in the 40s echoed in some sublime retail products from the mid 50s and beyond. Here we see the rogue “diver’s timer” alongside a later confirmed diver’s wrist watch. One can see how maybe they belong together after all.
This stopwatch was manufactured by UG and distributed by Antonio Cairelli to the Italian military in the 1940s. The Bakelite case measures 87mm without crown and contains a scruffy example of the wonderful calibre 295;
Since I bought the stopwatch I have been researching precisely whereabouts in the Italian armed forces it was used. It was labelled a “diver’s timer” when I purchased it but I’m sceptical about that. I read that Panerai essentially held a monopoly over the issuance of Italian Navy technical diving instruments for at least the first half of the twentieth century. It seems unlikely that Cairelli would encroach on Panerai’s established distribution turf with this particular instrument, especially given that it offers such limited water and pressure resistance.
However, as is well documented, A. Cairelli were most definitely suppliers to the Italian Air Force during the same period. This timer certainly closely resembles the UG military aircraft instruments and dashboard chronographs and Cairelli bomb timers I’ve seen posted on this forum and elsewhere on the internet (see https://omegaforums.net/threads/the-universal-squirrel-bites-hard.9853/ ). The styling and materials are certainly familiar and the large Arabic numbers on the dial suggest it was meant to be read from a distance. However, my case lacks the embedded screw brackets I’ve seen on so many other dashboard-mounted timers and, in hand, feels surprisingly basic for a piece of aeronautical flight equipment. I understand that the ‘2-481’ faintly printed in the middle of the dial is a unique issuance number denoting the class of aircraft into which this part was installed but so far I’ve been unable to discover which one. I’d love to know which specific plane this was; answers on a postcard, please.
This example has a single crown for both winding and operating the stopwatch, consistent with the ornately-cased cal 295 civilian personal timers from the period others have posted on this forum (see https://omegaforums.net/threads/anyone-familiar-with-ug-timers.52541/). Its case has two small cross-bars attached, and conveniently sits very securely in the palm. The case back itself is scratched and scuffed, suggesting that the timer has been loose for a long time and perhaps even enjoyed a second life as a portable stopwatch on earth.
In common with other manufacturers of the era, it is striking to see the military design aesthetic of Universal Genève in the 40s echoed in some sublime retail products from the mid 50s and beyond. Here we see the rogue “diver’s timer” alongside a later confirmed diver’s wrist watch. One can see how maybe they belong together after all.
