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, 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 Compur Chronograph, one of the brand’s earliest modern chronographs from the 1930s. Made of stainless steel and powered by the manual-wind cal. 285 movement, this 35mm timepiece was a large watch back in the day, and so it has naturally become a perfectly-sized offering by today’s standards. Boasting a black dial with a plethora of scales and twin chronograph subdials that distinguish this as a first generation Compus, 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 and large case, it will fit right into a chronograph afficionado’s collection.

The watch is in overall very good condition. The stainless steel case has some scratches, nicks, and wear as expected for a watch of this vintage. The black multiscale dial has some light spotting, but the print is all present and remains reasonably crisp. The no-lume hands have some light tarnishing. The watch is fitted with a brown leather strap with a stainless steel buckle.

Existing at a time when chronographs were essentially wrist-mounted computers that were required to perform calculations that digital tools have since replaced, the Compur's utility-focused display and design provide a wonderful glimpse into the mid-century necessity of having an accurate and reliable tool watch.