Universal Genève's Return and the $1.5m 'Titanic' Watch That Wasn't
A Tudor 'leak'; first look at the UG Tribute to Compax; and a Watchlist featuring Abercrombie & Fitch, Zenith, Breguet, and Patek Philippe.
These “leaks” are getting good. In a short video about how Pelagos dials are made, there’s a split-second where Tudor shows a pad-printing machine stamping out two words:
“Pelagos GMT”
In the traditional Pelagos blue, it’s clearly not the existing Pelagos FXD GMT. You can find Photoshop renders predicting a Pelagos GMT dating back to at least Tiger’s first DUI, but it seems like 2026 is finally the year its modern diver gets a GMT.
As for my Tudor predictions: Beyond a revamped Black Bay 58 in line with last year’s Burgundy, I’m hoping for an updated 1926 collection—
Tudor could use a real dress watch, and if it’s sub-39mm diameter, under 12mm thick, at a reasonable price, and still with METAS certification, it’ll easily have Omega beat.
In today’s letter: The Watchlist features a special Abercrombie & Fitch chronograph, a chronometer-grade Zenith, and intrigue about the real Titanic watch. But first—
You can always check out the entire Unpolished archive online.
First Look: Universal Genéve ‘Tribute to Compax’ Set
A few weeks ago, a subscriber reached out to show me a special set of watches he’d just picked up: One of the two Universal Genève “Tribute to Compax” sets.
It’s one of two unique sets sold as an appetizer to the brand’s full relaunch, coming April 8. Both feature a trio of Compaxes in the original 36mm size, use restored UG caliber 281s, and are delivered on leather bund straps made by a Japanese craftsman. Each set has different color grand feu enamel dials.
One of the biggest announcements over the next few weeks will be the rollout of Universal Genève’s new collection.1 After next week’s announcement, many in Geneva will see it all the evening before Watches & Wonders kicks off (I’ll be there).
I hadn’t seen any real photos of the Compax sets, so I asked this collector if he could send some to get us excited about UG’s official relaunch.
I think the panda Nina Rindt tribute looks best, but it’s also one of the greatest mid-century chronograph designs from any brand to my eye.2
I asked the collector why he acquired the set. He said:
“It came down to the overall package. The Nina Rindt is already an iconic piece, so I was naturally drawn to it, but what I liked here was how well everything came together: the design, history, and the way they executed it. Also, after I made contact and started communication, the UG brand team was amazing.
The archived movements used and restored reallyyyy jumped at me…I honestly thought ‘how cool those movements took time in the past’…but for me that was just one part of it. More than anything, it felt like a very complete and well-thought-out release.”
Thanks again to the collector for sharing—I’ll have more on UG’s relaunch over the next couple of weeks.
The Watchlist
Unpolished’s monthly column featuring low- or no-reserve auctions—from eBay to small auctions—all under the radar, in hopes of finding a deal.
Before we spend a couple of weeks talking mostly about new watches, let’s look at a few old watches for sale right now:
