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Universal Genève Compax Ref. 7038

W
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Hello everyone! I'm a new member to the forum and an admirer of Universal Genève. I'm hoping to make my first purchase and could really use the community's expertise.

I took this picture of this magnificent Universal Genève Compax Ref. 7038 Cal. 281 with 30mm case in rosé gold which I'm planning to purchase. The price is $4,000.

It would be super nice if the experts here could share their opinion about this watch's condition, the dial, and if the $4,000 price point seems fair for this specific reference and metal.

PXL_20250927_113821609~2.webp
 
vujen
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Badly reprinted dial, very polished case. I can't say it is "magnificent" unfortunately. Avoid.
 
W
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vujen vujen
Badly reprinted dial, very polished case. I can't say it is "magnificent" unfortunately. Avoid.
Oh, not the answer I expected. I was really intrigued by the size and overall look of this watch. Obviously and sadly, I don't have the expertise to distinguish a good dial from a 'badly reprinted' one. Thank you very much for taking the time to look at the photo and for the clear verdict.
 
Porteroso
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W wklopf
Oh, not the answer I expected. I was really intrigued by the size and overall look of this watch. Obviously and sadly, I don't have the expertise to distinguish a good dial from a 'badly reprinted' one. Thank you very much for taking the time to look at the photo and for the clear verdict.
It's good for you to check! Very few people have the expertise to tell these things. They are not judged by how the print looks, but how close to the original it is. Some of these guys have handled many, many Universal Geneves, and can tell pretty quickly.
 
bgrisso
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Glad you checked first, as @vujen already said, this is an absolute avoid unless it was at or below melt cost, assuming it's a solid gold case. Aside from the redial all the hands are wrong. And at 30mm it's very small.
 
Mark020
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Just curious - how did you decide that 4k is a fair price point?
 
W
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Mark020 Mark020
Just curious - how did you decide that 4k is a fair price point?
I didn’t decide the price myself. I just trusted that a well-regarded vintage watch dealer would know what’s fair.
 
W
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bgrisso bgrisso
Glad you checked first, as @vujen already said, this is an absolute avoid unless it was at or below melt cost, assuming it's a solid gold case. Aside from the redial all the hands are wrong. And at 30mm it's very small.
I had my own doubts about the watch hands, and the dealer didn’t sound entirely confident when he said they were correct for this model. That slight uncertainty prompted me to consult the experts here in the forum.
 
W
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W wklopf
I didn’t decide the price myself. I just trusted that a well-regarded vintage watch dealer would know what’s fair.
And the dealer stood his ground and didn’t even consider lowering the price when I asked.
 
Mark020
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W wklopf
I just trusted that a well-regarded vintage watch dealer would know what’s fair.
That's like asking your barber whether you need a haircut...
 
Porteroso
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W wklopf
And the dealer stood his ground and didn’t even consider lowering the price when I asked.
Selling watches can be considered a specialty. Valuing them, and determining originality, is a completely different specialty.
 
Modest_Proposal
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Beyond what has been said about the case and dial, the hands - or at least a number of them are not original either. (certainly the subseconds and minute counters are not original)

Just a watch to be avoided.
 
BlackTalon
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W wklopf
I didn’t decide the price myself. I just trusted that a well-regarded vintage watch dealer would know what’s fair.
They do, in fact, know what is fair. And then they charge 50-100% above that amount.
 
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