1st Gen Universal Genève Polerouter Compressor Sub

Today we have one truly rare bird. The Polerouter is regarded by many as the perfect dress-daily for collectors. It is mildly complicated with a micro-rotor architecture, understated with a Gerald Genta design, and svelt in its slim case proportion. It’s not even ruinously expensive. But the greatest joy of collecting the Polerouter lies in the vast quantity of variations. This is a nuanced model that requires attentive research. Today, we have the rarest of the lot: the EPSA Super Compressor first generation Polerouter Sub. This is an enthusiast’s dream if ever there were one.

The Polerouter Sub Super Compressor (PSSC) is as coveted as Universal gets, with possible exception of the Clapton Tri-Compax. However, acquiring one is not a straightforward process. With the sheer quantity of generic super compressor cases laying around and modern dial print tech, there are many fakes. This reference is not territory for the faint-hearted or beginner. There is a lot we don’t know about the production of the PSSC, just what is factory and what is not. Much knowledge had been lost to the ages. With the last push of vintage collecting through the early 2000s, however, the community has pieced together a sort of guide.

What we do know is that there are two main production runs. To keep it simple, the first generation has a straight lug on the supercompressor case and the second generation is beveled heavily. Most first generation watches are original. There is a controversy today over the merits of the second generation that I am not expert enough to comment on. Thankfully, the PSSC we see today is the former: the undisputed, authentic, original run. I have been hunting for a correct Polerouter sub to feature for the last two years. This is it.

The example here is a rarity. It is entirely correct, stamped, in nearly NOS condition, and even on its original bracelet. On 9/10 PSSCs you will find, lume plots have flaked completely and the dial has weather unevenly to the point of illegibility. This is the complete opposite. The dial has a beautiful character. Even the redness of the inner bezel 12 triangle is visible. These simply don’t come better. It is offered by a well-regarded seller who has been in the collector’s sphere for decades, Andrea Foffi. One last note, the going rate may seem steep—to that I’d simply say try and find another like this for sale. Study the current offerings closely. There isn’t.

Find this Polerouter Sub here from Andrea Foffi for 18500 EUR.