There are a few watches that every man should have in his horological arsenal.  Enthusiasts and collectors will gush about specific brands or particular executions.  While we've been known to do the same at times, we also know that above the specifics, there are five main facets that a watch guy should be thinking about when building a vintage collection.  

There's no question that chronographs are in, and we think every collection should have a high-quality vintage offering from a brand like Heuer, Omega or Universal Genève.  A vintage tool watch and a contemporary field watch (think Seiko SXK007 or a time-only Sinn) both deserve homes.  Fourth should be a guilty pleasure watch - a watch a little off the beaten path that you love for better or worse, despite what your friends think.  

The final area of consideration is a dress watch.  While there are no hard and fast rules on what constitutes a dress watch per say (lot of guys are rocking gold chronos or sport watches as their dress pieces today), we feel that it should be of a precious metal and simple in design, probably a three-hand model, with or without a date.  While gold is a polarizing material today, we see it making a big return to the vintage space, with lots of enthusiasts searching out smaller yellow and rose gold watches from reputable manufactures to polish off their dressier ensembles.

This particular piece, a Universal Genève Polerouter from the late 1950s, sports more than just killer looks.  The story of the watch's fabled designer intersects with a unique technological history, making for a timepiece that is as sought after as it is enjoyable to wear.  With its sleek 35mm case (in 18K solid Rose Gold, no less), which tapers sumptuously to its twisted lugs, a supremely crisp two-tone cream/silver dial, and a Calibre 215 Micro-Rotor automatic movement, this watch gets the nod on specs alone. 

But as with everything horological, the beauty is truly in the details - in this case represented by the early applied logo, dauphine hands, and circular date window. Pause on that last one for a minute. This is the only - that's right, the only - example of Polerouter we have ever found with a circular date aperture ringed in rose gold.  An incredibly early variant that didn't last into regular production, its beauty is impossible to overstate, as is its tremendous rarity.

Solid gold Polerouters are a special thing unto themselves, but one with this incredible date design is on another level entirely. 

History

Most of us, even the most diehard collectors, know only one watch designer by name: Gerald Genta.

The man behind the AP Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the IWC Ingenieur, Genta changed the watch industry with his luxury stainless steel sports watches.  But before he could pioneer haute horology, he had cut his teeth on a more approachable timepiece; the Universal Genève Polerouter.

The Polerouter was Genta's first watch hit, penned by the young Swiss designer at the age of 23. The watch was a sales success and propelled Genta’s career forward (allowing us to have greats like the Royal Oak and the Nautilus.) The first Polerouter was released in 1954 to celebrate and promote Scandinavian Airlines’ Royal Viking polar flights between New York City, Los Angeles and Europe. The flights forged a new route over the North Pole, reducing flight times between the two continents. Flying over the North Pole presented a unique set of challenges for a watch, and the Polerouter was designed to be highly resistant to magnetic fields (in addition to the usual shock and water resistance) so as to maintain accuracy during the trip.