I was just browsing and came across a curious watch at Bernardini Milano.
https://www.bernardinimilano.com/collections/universal-geneve/products/univeral-geneve-compur


At first glance it looks like a nice compur but if you squint your eyes on the full resolution image you can see a faded much larger Uweco Geneve print on the dial.

I read a little bit about Uweco and correct me if I'm wrong, these were the more affordable offerings of Universal Geneve company with outsourced parts to keep costs down.

I don't see many of them, but I was wondering why someone would go through so much trouble to do something like this.


Color corrected to highlight the atrocity

 

Not sure about the outsourced parts. Anyway I had a private label Heuer with the private label printed on top of the Heuer label. Guess this done at the dial factory.

 

Well spotted!

I also notice that the minute hand does not reach the outer scale.

It is my, admittedly limited, understanding that Uweco was a budget UG. The cases were often chrome-plated and the chronograph movements often had flat hairsprings instead of a Breguet overcoil.

 

Wow, good eye.

 

I was also under the impression Uweco was the discount division of UG. However I don't know exactly where Berthoud Geneve fits in either, or the relationship between all three of them in terms of marketing, etc.

This dial is odd with the "double print". The obvious answer seems to be either a legit recycling of an Uweco dial at the factory level back in the day, or a more modern reprinting for increased value? To be clear, I'm not suggesting or accusing anyone of anything, it would require a bit of research, even then, might be hard to figure out.

Uweco dial would obviously normally be paired with Uweco mvmt and case, but that's not the situation here, so yah......I don't know.

 

Quite right, it is a lot of trouble to go through.

There are a lot of weird things about that dial and watch in general. The bleed into registers, the funny "Y" looking "V" in geneve, the quality of the print is not that great, the dial that seems a little too big for case (or maybe crystal is incorrect). The movement also looks a little dubious. The bridge seems to have undergone far more oxidation than the other parts. All in all, there are too many question marks and bottom line, in my opinion is that it did not start life as a UG but was later fiddled with ...



I am not implying that there is intent to deceive or that any of the changes were carried out by a highly reputed dealer (he may by as much in the dark as everyone else), but i do find it weird that all of the issues were missed when the watch was evaluated. Based on the fact that Bernardino's pricing carries a big markup I would say that a name changes with bits to support it would not be that costly considering the hike in price tag that the was would instantly gain.

 

In this range of serials a lot of other branded UG's are to be found:
https://watchnet.co.jp/en/all-items/23294/
https://www.watchprosite.com/collec...mpur-18k-gold-chronograph/712.894618.6114308/

 

We are all being nice. Not that I’d not make a bee line for his shop if I were in the hood.

 

Well it does come with "certificate of autenticity and legitimate provenance" so it should all be good

 

I have a certificate of authenticity for this diamond i dug up while holidaying at Butlins ...

 

Butlins - wow! Living the dream.