News 
Last November, Universal Genève celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Polerouter watch, a timepiece created to mark the first commercial transpolar flight operated by Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) from Copenhagen to California in 1954. The brand took the opportunity to unveil three timepieces in tribute to this achievement and to broadcast a message from Evelyne Genta, wife of the late Gérald Genta, the legendary watchmaker who created the first Polerouter.
Three watches presented at the event reinterpret the emblematic codes of the original model. The first one includes an 18k red gold case, inner bezel and hands paired with a black dial. The other is crafted with a stainless-steel case, inner bezel, dial and 18k red gold hands. The Polerouter up for auction at Phillips features a white gold case, signature-twisted lugs, and a dial in SAS blue. The handcrafted white-gold bracelet, inspired by Universal Genève historical designs, was created by Laurent Jolliet, a craftsman who is Switzerland’s last practicing chain-maker.
Seventy years ago, on 15 November 1954, SAS flew its first commercial flights over the North Pole. These flights reduced the travel distance between Scandinavia and California by 2,600 kilometers, a major feat in aviation history. After Los Angeles, SAS expanded its polar routes, introducing flights to Tokyo in 1957 and Singapore in 1967.
The Polerouter was created by Universal Genève for SAS pilots flying the first transpolar route from Copenhagen to Los Angeles. Known for its innovative two-part dial construction, it was designed with style and safety in mind to be resistant to shocks, magnetism and moisture, as well as to handle any climate from the pole to the equator.
December 19, 2024