190: Universal Geneve and the Pole Router for the Polar Route!

In today's episode Lydia tells us the story of the Pole Router, Universal Geneve's watch commemorating the Polar Route for SAS flights that significantly reduced the flight time for international flights.

See Masaharu's post here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCZMHZDN1I2/

Episode Transcript

(00:08):
Welcome to this Watch LIVE. Hi, I'm Lydia Winters.
And I'm Boo booing. How's it feel, Boo boy to be on
a Monday, Wednesday Friday episode?
I don't know yet. OK, it did.
It did feel a little bit more like all of a sudden, like, Oh
no, it's Wednesday, which is different than daily.
It is. And also, I like that today you

(00:30):
were like, I'm going to prep theepisode as in you MM hmm.
And. Wait, you're going to re the
episode? I didn't.
Know what it's about as in me yes, and so I'm here I'm I'm
your cohost ready for you to tell me about watch stuff.
OK, so last week when I got was getting back from Geneva, I saw
that a bunch of people were talking about a new Universal

(00:54):
GENEV collaboration with SAS. And I can tell you the first
thing I was like, what? Oh, what a reaction.
OK. So I'll start with SAS is the
Scandinavian Airlines. That's the airline I use for, I
mean, all the time, basically, yeah.
And there was a time when we weren't SAS first, but I mean,

(01:17):
we fly everywhere on. SBS but I would say it is now my
first airline all the time. Yeah, actually.
That's for almost everything I do, yeah.
And so I was kind of like, oh, OK.
Universal Geneva, the the pole router, like what the, you know,
Yeah. And then I actually learned a
lot of stuff, so I've been really excited to do this

(01:38):
episode. So you heard about it?
Mm Hmm. Just the headline.
Well, no, I saw it. Makes no sense.
There were a bunch of journalists there and they were
taking a trip to represent. I've missed.
All of this, yes. I've I've.
Heard you mention it. I can always count on Vu to have
missed the news, so this is perfect.

(01:58):
I was like, he will have no clue.
So first of all, it was celebrating the 70th anniversary
of the first flight, the polar flight from New York slash Los
Angeles to Europe, new. York slash Los Angeles.
Well, it was from Los Angeles. They they had to make a lot of
stops back then. So it's like basically this was

(02:20):
the first time they were flying over the polar ice.
Yes, 70 years ago. It did some, they did some
experiments in 1952. And then they actually the route
opened officially on November 15th, 1954.
And it, I mean, it hugely reduced the flight times between

(02:41):
Europe and North America flying over the poles.
And so that kind of caught my attention because #1 the airline
I travel #2 I'm very invested inconnecting Europe and North
America because my family is in the US I've taken flights
basically from Sweden to New York, Sweden to Los Angeles and

(03:04):
so many times. Yeah.
No, it's always to new. York 'cause you have to go
through. Most of the time, yeah.
But so to me, it was really coolto actually like start thinking
about this because I just like walk on a plane, fly from here
to there. I don't really think about it.
And so with this, it was also sort of the big relaunch of

(03:28):
Universal Geneva a few weeks ago.
They we. Had heard that that was coming.
Yes, because they were purchasedby Breitling quite recently,
maybe I recently being. I think it was.
More like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And the the interesting thing isa few weeks ago, they relaunched

(03:48):
their website with some like drawing some little hints
towards things. And I again, did not know that
the pole router watch was originally named Polar Route.
It's a polar Route watch. Wait, the OK, hold on.

(04:10):
OK, the original name of the Universal Genev watch was Polar
Route and it became Pole Router.Yes, because it felt.
It. Basically like it wasn't.
So there was another watch that had a similar name.
Oh, so then it became the pole router.

(04:33):
OK, but it but. It was a point, it was a was a
polar router. Yes, it was all about this polar
route and I was like pole route router didn't like give me that.
Whereas polar router you're likeOK.
Actually never thought about what it might mean, no.
Which is. I didn't either, so that's why I
actually felt this was very interesting because you know,

(04:55):
they, they renamed it to the pole router from the polar
router because of the polar route.
Very clear. Very clear, it was equipped with
an innovative 215 micro rotor movements.
It was one of the first of its kind.
It became a huge like a highly popular watch.
I've seen tons of them online and it's still like a favorite

(05:18):
among collectors. And it was designed by.
Your your favorite. Gerald Dente.
But this was his like, first main watch.
He was 23 years old. This was his first like
legendary contribution. He had really defined his style.

(05:38):
Yes. Like like that.
It was so in your face that you could tell that that's a genta.
Whoa. We're not saying in your face.
We're saying stylistic. I could say iconic verses in
your face. No, in your face.
I don't mean that in a negative way.
I mean when do? We recognizable.

(05:59):
Yeah, because it's in your face.OK, I'm I'm not behind that in
your face. OK.
But so this was designed in 1954by Magenta.
He was 23. This was his first, like, big
contribution to watchmaking. And this was commissioned by
Universal, which used to be Universal at the time, to

(06:19):
commemorate this historic flightfrom Copenhagen to Los Angeles
via the North Pole. And I just think it's super
cool. So they took a flight, you know,
where they were passing around these watches.
They only went from Geneva to Copenhagen.
Wait, what? Well, look.
So you mean, you mean you mean this is very recent, the recent?

(06:41):
Press Trip. They didn't do the polar route.
They did not do the polar route this was, but they did get an
old SAS. Looking.
Plane you know it it wasn't the I assume it had modern
amenities, but they also got like the old SAS bus that looked
you know that they had at the time.

(07:01):
So they really tried to make it this interesting event and then
they actually made 3 watches. OK, 3.
Wait, three total or three models?
Three models, 3 total. They're gorgeous, OK?

(07:22):
They're very beautiful. That is very limited.
Edition Yes, and this is really what One in stainless steel one
in white gold, one in red gold. The the blue dial 1 in white
gold is very cool because it also has a really unique looking
bracelet. Blue is the SAS.
Color yes blue is the SAS color it has the modern logo SAS and

(07:45):
this is what got me I was like what is that for Why is.
The why is your internal monologue voice.
It's like an old timey newspapersalesman.
I don't know. That's that's what it's like.
Hear ye, hear ye. Wait.
That's V4 newspaper. Yeah, exactly.
My inner critic has. That voice.
I. Don't know why.
Watches were beautiful saw them everywhere on all different on

(08:10):
all different instagrams. Yeah, and I.
Haven't seen any. Again, not surprising, I think.
I've been on Instagram much. But it was really cool.
It was to commemorate the 70th anniversary of this flight.
That's really cool, especially since the watch was made for
that. Route, yes, and one of them I

(08:34):
believe will be auctioned off. OK.
I don't know what happens to theother two.
Maybe the rest, maybe they're all auctioned.
See, The thing is, I just like the watches, and I don't really
care how they're sold. But so this isn't the launch of
these 3 watches. No, this was more of a
commemorative. Yeah, a celebration.
And then also, I mean, here's the thing, I think they did a

(08:56):
really great job because look who's talking about it.
Me. And you know who's not wouldn't
have been talking about it me, because I didn't know.
I mean, we didn't know anything about it.
I didn't know about. No, I didn't know the.
History of the watch or what it represented and so that's pretty
cool. They're actually also the pieces

(09:17):
will be for the auction. The proceeds will be donated to
an art program. Oh, that's really cool.
Yes, in Geneva, so that's prettycool, but the coolest thing,
which sorry, I mean the whole thing was fun, but the the thing
that got me more than anything was that first of all, Masuharu

(09:41):
from Ho Dinki, Japan, who we think is amazing.
He went on this trip, he broughtalong with him a very cool
certificate that his grandfathergot in 1960.
Masaharu's grandfather, yes. OK, when he took the pole route

(10:03):
on SAS from Tokyo. To Los Angeles.
But here's the best part. Way from Tokyo to Los Angeles,
yes. OK, so this is when you know.
Like now now more pole routes. Yes.
It wasn't only from LA. Well, it was.
If you were going over the pole,yeah.
The poles. You know, a polar?
Yeah, yeah, I'm not getting science here.
Something about I didn't. Even know that that was like a

(10:25):
thing because we don't fly over the poles.
Yeah, but I mean. So I guess back then they just
kind of over the top there. I now I'm getting really
confused. About how any?
Flights work, so I'm I research,still watch.
It I mean, when we fly from the US over right, let's say from

(10:47):
New York, like we'll go past Greenland and Iceland, yeah, but
we don't go north of. Greenland, Greenland.
This That was the route the polar.
Route, Yeah, OK, OK. Yeah, I mean, it's very polar,
but it's not at the poles. No, I mean, but it's Arctic.
It's not at the You don't fly over Santa's workshop.
OK, well actually that leads us back into what we're talking

(11:07):
about here, Santa. 'S workshop does OK.
Masaharu. Oh yeah.
Yeah, I forgot Masaharu. Brought.
His grandfather. The certificate that his
grandfather got with his grandfather's name on it.
And it has an image of a polar bear holding a globe that says
SAS on top of the like, like having a flag on top of the

(11:30):
globe. It's a really cool art style.
And then it actually shows, you know, it has a little bit of a
map. So you see where the North Pole
is, which includes Greenland. So that would be why like the
the pole itself is part of part of Greenland is in.
The North? Maybe they're considering
everything above the Arctic Circle.

(11:51):
Yeah, I think so. Yes, that it, I believe that
it's got the polar, polar region.
And then it says this certificate that in accordance
with the laws of the Empire of His Majesty the Polar Bear.
What? What is happening?
It certifies that that his grandfather, Mr. WADA, after

(12:16):
having passed the North Pole on the Polar Shortcut on board the
SAS Airliner DC7C Global Expresson the 9th day of September
within the year of 1960, has qualified for the honorable
title of Conqueror of the Top ofthe World.
Oh wow. Which is hereby stated under the
official seal of the North Pole.There is then a thing that says

(12:39):
Official Seal of the North Pole.It has a seal on it.
Why aren't things more fun? This is the best thing.
Ever like a seal? Seal.
Yeah, like our our. Yeah, like a little.
Seal. That was my best podcast version
of saying what? Oh no.
So it's both a seal looking sealwhere it looks like a hold on.

(13:01):
Hold on, looks. Like a wax seal.
And it also looks like the animal.
The seal. Yes, that's amazing.
And why? Why aren't things more funny?
This. Is just fun and sweet and
probably what wreck did is someone was like there is no
empire of the polar bear. But still, it's so cool and I, I

(13:24):
mean, honestly, it well, first of all, we know what it first
made me made me want a pole router immediately I was.
Like immediately you're like OK I need a pole router.
How do I get one of these three?Transatlantic flights.
Polar bears. And seals.
And seals. It has everything you could ever
want if they. Gave me a certificate to get

(13:44):
with it that looked like that. I would be like yes.
I wonder how rare flying was, you know on this route that
you'd get this cool certificate.Maybe it was like right in the
beginning. It was such a.
Novel thing that they'd make these certificates I just.
I mean this. When I think of that time
period, because what, what year was it?
This was 1960 and the 1st the first flight was 1954, so like

(14:09):
six years later. Still in the in the beginning,
time moved a little slower back then than it does now in terms
of technological advancement. But also like when I think of
the 1960s, I think of a more serious time.
Yeah, but you look at that and today you wouldn't hand that to

(14:31):
who? I assume Masahara's grandfather
was probably a a businessman on a business trip.
And it's this. He went through the Kingdom of
the polar Bear. It's and there's.
A seal with the seal on it I. I truly love it and I think it's
so. Super cool.
It's. So beautiful that Masahara got
to come on this trip and then hebrought this and showed it to

(14:53):
everyone, which was probably thehighlight for many people.
Like, because it it just ties the story in so well.
Yeah. And so now I need this watch,
but unfortunately I think they're all basically bought up.
But there's only three. Now, not these three, I mean.
A pole router. Pole router, Well, I mean, OK,

(15:15):
so pole router has come up many,many, many times over the years
as I have looked whenever I lookinto like, oh, maybe I should
dabble in vintage a little like the recommendation is go for a
universal GENEV pole router because they are ubiquitous and

(15:35):
relatively and I'll say relatively and that's probably
changed especially now with. The Kingdom.
But relatively affordable in comparison to other watches of
that era that are well known, right?
Because even if we look at the first vintage watch I ever

(15:56):
bought, which was an Omega Seamaster from the 1950s, I
think I paid like $500.00 for it10 years ago.
Those are not $500 anymore, right?
Like so everything has come up, but I'm guessing that these pull
routers have come up even more. Yes, and I mean, I would only
want one now if I could certify that Masahara's grandfather wore

(16:21):
it on this flight with the polarbear.
That means that you're looking for one specific watch.
And you don't. Want Masahara to.
Have but also that's not even a watch he had because he was on
the flight. I don't know, but I it's super
cool. It was, I have to say, anyone
who can get me to research history, a great job, Universal

(16:45):
Geneva, that that's my like, wow, I'm very impressed.
I wonder though, is it? Yeah, that's the thing, is it?
Is it only without Masaharu and his grandfather's story and the
certificate? I wonder if it would have piqued
your interest to this level. Well, it would, because
remember, I was like, why rush on there?
So yeah. In your old timey internal

(17:06):
monologue. Exactly, I don't get.
Although the Genta connection isamazing.
Yeah, this is this story was made for you.
This is very I know I need one to wear on my flights to visit
my family. So are you going to go for
vintage or are you going to waitfor them to launch new watches?

(17:27):
Well, I would want it to be as close to the flight, original
flights as possible. So I would go for a vintage one.
Yes, All right. Unless they give me, unless
they're like all new watches will come with a polar bear
certificate and then I'm like, I'm in.
I I had that. Was for the.
Flight. Yeah, that was for the flight,

(17:47):
not the watch. I know, but I still want it.
It's so fun. I I think it's really.
OK, Let us know what you think of all of this, all of this.
Everything about it, all of history.
Bye.