Five Art Deco style models that bring the 1930s classics back to the Universal Genève catalog.
The recently revived brand Universal Genève, under the patronage of Breitling, has introduced a whole series of new products. Among them are 5 Cabriolet models that bring the 1930s classics back into the company's catalog.
The first appearance of the Cabriolet in the Universal Genève catalog dates back to 1933. At that time, the watches, emerging at the peak of Art Deco popularity, were known as Ideo. The new line is divided into two parts: four models in the Prêt-à-Porter collection and one with the telling name Cabriolet Capsule.
The Prêt-à-Porter collection features the following models:
Stainless steel + blue dial + nine-row steel bracelet ($12,500);
Rose gold + white dial + brown alligator leather strap ($32,977);
Rose gold + black dial + gold bracelet ($38,000);
Rose gold + red dial + diamonds on bezel + red alligator leather strap ($63,000);
All four models have a transparent case back. Personalization is available to buyers, allowing them to order engravings of their initials or miniature paintings.
The Cabriolet Capsule model, named Cabriolet De Lempicka, comes with a rose gold case and a turquoise dial. The main feature of the watch is a painting by Tamara de Lempicka, executed on the case back by miniaturist Isabelle Villa. The series includes 15 pieces and 3 different paintings by the artist (5 pieces for each variant). The estimated cost of the watch is $64,500.
All models in this series share a case construction that greatly resembles the rotating design of the Reverso. For better ergonomics, the case back is slightly concave.
Case dimensions are 24.2 x 45 x 8 mm. The dial features vertically arranged Arabic numerals (font called Cassandre). The case is water-resistant to 100 meters.
Inside is the Universal Genève caliber UG-111, a manual-winding movement only 3 mm thick. It operates at a frequency of 3 Hz, features a variable inertia balance, and provides a 72-hour power reserve.