Description

The Universal Genève ladies bracelet watch in 18k yellow gold, dating from the 1970s and presenting the exceptional “Fantasy Opal Dial” configuration: a mosaic of black opal fragments covering the entire dial surface, the stones showing brilliant play-of-colour in electric greens, deep blues and flashes of red and violet. The bezel is set with a single row of brilliant-cut diamonds totalling approximately one carat. The 18k yellow gold mesh bracelet is fine and flexible, the gold marked 18k on the clasp. The movement, Universal Genève Calibre 1-42, runs. This is a watch conceived as jewellery first and timepiece second, from the decade in which Universal Genève produced some of its most creatively adventurous and visually extraordinary pieces.

Universal Genève and the 1970s High Jewellery Watch

The 1970s represented a unique chapter in Universal Genève’s history. Under the ownership of the American Bulova group through the late 1960s and early 1970s, the brand had expanded its reach into North American and Japanese markets and undertaken stylistic collaborations with Tiffany’s, Cartier and Movado. The decade produced, alongside Universal Genève’s celebrated sports watches, a series of extraordinarily luxurious ladies bracelet watches in precious metal that combined fine mechanical calibres with the ambition of high jewellery.

The “Fantasy Opal Dial” models were among the most spectacular products of this period. Rather than using conventional dial materials, enamel, lacquer, guilloché, Universal Genève’s workshops set the dial surfaces of these watches with fragments of natural opal arranged in an irregular mosaic, each stone cut and positioned to maximise the play-of-colour visible through the crystal. The opal used for these dials was of the finest available, black opal, whose dark body colour provides the ideal backdrop against which the stones’ characteristic fire appears at its most vivid. No two mosaic opal dials are identical, and no two show quite the same combination of colours: the stones’ play-of-colour depends on the angle of light, the specific arrangement of the fragments, and the particular character of the individual stones. This dial is a unique object. There is no other one like it.

The Stones – Black Opal Mosaic

The opal mosaic dial on this watch displays the characteristic fire of high-quality black opal: the dark base body tone of the stones allows the play-of-colour, the phenomenon by which opal refracts light into its component spectral colours, to appear at maximum intensity. The dominant tones on this dial are electric green and deep blue, with flashes of red and violet that appear and disappear as the wrist moves and the light strikes the stones at different angles. The effect under natural light is extraordinary: the dial seems to live and shift with every movement.

Opal has historically been among the most prized of all gemstones, beloved by the Romans, who called it opalus and ranked it second only to emerald in esteem. In the 1970s, Australian black opal was at the height of its collector reputation. Universal Genève’s use of it as a dial material places these watches in a specific and fleeting moment of horological and gemological history.

The diamond bezel provides the perfect frame. A single row of brilliant-cut diamonds runs the full circumference of the bezel, their combined weight approximately one carat, their white fire contrasting with the warm yellow gold of the case and the chromatic extravagance of the opal dial within.

The Movement and Bracelet

The Universal Genève Calibre 1-42 inside this watch is a compact ladies’ manual-wind movement of reliable Swiss construction. It runs and keeps time. The sapphire-set crown at six o’clock, visible in Image 1, is a jewellery detail that gives the crown a finishing touch consistent with the watch’s overall character as a piece of wearable art as much as a timekeeping instrument.

The 18k yellow gold mesh bracelet is the florentine-textured integrated type characteristic of Universal Genève’s 1970s ladies collection: fine, supple, and rich in texture, the mesh surface catching light across thousands of individual woven gold elements. The clasp is stamped 18k, confirming solid gold construction throughout. The bracelet fits comfortably and closes securely.

Specifications

Brand: Universal Genève

Model: Ladies Bracelet Watch – Fantasy Opal Dial

Year: circa 1970s

Case material: Gold-tone (18k yellow gold)

Case diameter: approx. 25 mm

Bezel: Diamond-set round bezel with single row brilliant-cut diamonds, approx. 1 carat total weight

Dial: Black opal mosaic – natural opal fragments set in irregular mosaic pattern; play-of-colour in green, blue, red and violet

Crown: Set with blue sapphire cabochon

Bracelet: Integrated 18k yellow gold florentine-textured mesh bracelet with 18k stamped clasp

Movement: Manual winding – Universal Genève Calibre 1-42, running

Condition: Good vintage condition with light signs of age consistent with era; dial and opal intact

Accessories: Watch and bracelet only (no box or papers)

Warranty: 1 year warranty

Availability

This vintage day-date automatic watch is available through Vintage Times Amsterdam.

For further information or high-resolution images, please feel free to contact:

Vintage Times

Vintage Times Amsterdam is a small watch boutique who mainly deals online and with a select group of private collectors. We are constantly looking for rare vintage timepieces and try to present the best condition available. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact for more information about this watch or other timepieces from our collection. We ship worldwide and also welcome you for a visit at our office in Amsterdam.

Vintage Times

email: [email protected]

tel / app: +31 6 4 1111 044