Amongst the list of watchmakers who weren’t lucky enough to make it out of the Quartz Crisis lies the name of perhaps one of watchmaking's most important companies, Universal Geneve. While they were revived and currently produce watches under the Breitling umbrella after their acquisition of the brand, their vintage pre-Quartz Crisis offerings are by far their most valuable and sought-after, and we are lucky enough to have one of those watches, the Aero-Compax ref. 22414, one of the brand’s most iconic chronographs from the 1940s.

Made of stainless steel and powered by the manual-wind cal. UG 287 movement, this 37mm timepiece was a large watch back in the day, and so it has naturally become a perfectly-sized offering by today’s standards. Boasting an aged cream dial with four subdials for its chronograph (3, 6 and 9 o’clock) and a separate subdial at 12 o’clock for the wearer (typically pilots) to set the time in a second timezone, this timepiece is a wonderful exhibition of some of the earliest high-end tool watch watchmaking that we can still wear and enjoy. With its simple design, large case, and pair of winding crowns, it will fit right into a chronograph aficionado’s collection who would enjoy something unique and rare.

The watch is in overall very good condition. The steel case is well defined with some surface marks and scratches, and shows signs of a previous polish. The case back has still-legible stamps, and the crowns and pushers remain in excellent condition. The dial retains all text and scales, though there is surface degradation visible across the dial, including areas of discoloration and some crazing. The blued hands have some surface marks. It is fitted with a near-mint leather strap and steel buckle.