1960–1962 Universal Genève Polerouter Date 204612/2 Cal. 218-27 Microtor
$5,999.00
WHY THIS WATCH MATTERS
The Polerouter is one of Universal Genève’s defining mid-century designs: compact, architectural and built around one of the manufacture’s most celebrated technical ideas—the Microtor automatic movement.
This confirmed reference 204612/2 carries caliber 218-27, a 17-jewel Microtor movement with the visible HON U.S.-market import code. The black crosshair dial, silver radial chapter ring and sharply faceted steel case give the watch the layered visual identity that made the Polerouter so distinctive.
READ THE FULL REFERENCE ROOM DEEP DIVE →
The hunt, Gérald Genta and SAS history, Microtor engineering, period advertising, and the restoration of this exact watch.
THE HARD DETAILS
| Maker | Universal Genève |
| Model | Polerouter Date |
| Reference | 204612/2 |
| Production | Circa 1960–1962 |
| Movement | Universal Genève caliber 218-27 Microtor automatic |
| Jewels | 17 |
| Frequency | 18,000 vph |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, central seconds, date |
| Case | Stainless steel |
| Case Diameter | 35.3 mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 45 mm |
| Thickness | 10.6 mm |
| Lug Width | 19 mm |
| Dial | Black crosshair dial with silver radial chapter ring |
| Crystal | Domed acrylic; original crystal retained and repolished |
| Case Reference | 204612/2 confirmed from caseback |
| Import Code | HON — U.S. market |
| Strap | Aftermarket dark brown leather with burgundy stitching |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Water Resistance | Not pressure tested |
| Current Rate | Approximately -6 sec/day |
OPERATING CONDITION
The watch is running well. Winding, time setting and calendar/date operation have all been function-checked and are working correctly. The replacement central seconds hand is installed and operating properly.
A current timegrapher reading is approximately -6 seconds per day. This is a snapshot of observed performance rather than a guarantee of future accuracy. The watch has not been pressure tested and no water-resistance guarantee is offered.
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WHAT WAS DONE
The original acrylic crystal was retained and repolished/restored rather than replaced. A replacement silver central seconds hand was installed by The Found Dial after the original hand could no longer be used. The watch was then function-checked for winding, time setting and calendar/date operation.
CONDITION & ORIGINALITY
This watch presents in honest vintage condition with visible wear consistent with age. The case and lugs show scratches and edge wear, the dial has light speckling and age marks, the luminous material has aged, and the hour and minute hands show patina. The inside caseback carries multiple old watchmaker/service scratches.
The factory case reference 204612/2 is confirmed from the caseback. The dial, hour/minute hands, chapter ring and crown appear period-consistent from the available photographs. The central seconds hand is a disclosed replacement installed by The Found Dial. Prior service history is otherwise unknown. No dial repainting or machine case polishing has been performed by The Found Dial.
THE STORY OF THIS WATCH
This example is particularly interesting because the details line up cleanly across the watch: the confirmed 204612/2 case reference, black crosshair dial, framed date at three, luminous details and the 17-jewel caliber 218-27 Microtor movement all belong to the same early-1960s Polerouter Date story.
The movement adds another layer. Its HON import code identifies it as a U.S.-market example, giving this watch a specific market context beyond simply being another Polerouter. The result is a watch whose appeal comes as much from the details under the caseback as from the architecture visible on the wrist.
REFERENCE & MODEL HISTORY
Reference 204612 belongs to the early-1960s steel Polerouter Date family and is documented in the larger approximately 35.5 mm case format with 19 mm lugs. The confirmed /2 variant is associated with a black dial, applied Universal Genève emblem, luminous details and date display at three—details that align with this example.
The Polerouter itself began in the mid-1950s and became one of Universal Genève’s most recognizable designs, combining highly structured dial and case design with increasingly sophisticated automatic movements.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Universal Genève was one of Geneva’s important independent manufactures and built its reputation through technically ambitious wristwatches, including the Compax chronograph families and its pioneering Microtor automatics.
The company’s Microtor architecture placed a compact winding rotor within the movement rather than above it, helping Universal Genève produce automatic watches with relatively slim proportions. The Polerouter became one of the clearest expressions of that engineering approach and remains one of the brand’s defining vintage families.
FOUND DETAILS
WHAT COMES WITH THE WATCH
The watch is supplied on the fitted aftermarket dark brown leather strap with burgundy stitching shown with the watch. No original box or papers are documented.
A NOTE ON VINTAGE
This is a vintage mechanical watch with age-related wear and an unknown complete prior service history. The replacement central seconds hand is fully disclosed. The watch has not been pressure tested; vintage water-resistance should never be assumed.
PHOTOGRAPHED PURELY. SOLD HONESTLY.
These photographs are intended to show the watch as accurately as possible—the wear, the patina, the imperfections, and the details that matter. If there is something you want to see more closely before buying, ask.
