[Update: Check out the release of the Massena Lab Uni-Racer and my conversation with Mr. Massena here.]
Awhile back, I reported that Universal Geneve was coming back soon, based on the re-registration of a few Universal Geneve trademarks and a bit of hope.
Well, 18 months later and the day might finally be here. Massena Lab, headed by William Massena, an industry veteran who’s pretty much done it all in watches, is teasing a release on October 20. The first hint that the release might be a Universal Geneve watch comes on the launch’s landing page, which, for those old enough to remember, might evoke motion picture memories:
The graphic is a play on the opening graphic that Universal Studios used to use for movies. Of course, Universal has updated the graphic over the years, but even today it still resembles this old graphic, with the word Universal superimposed over the globe. To me, the Massena Lab take on Universal’s graphic even evokes vintage Universal Geneve advertisements: colorful, futuristic, fun.
Okay, that’s cute, but I probably wouldn’t be publishing this story if that’s all I had to go on. Here’s the clincher: in 2019, Massena Lab’s company registered the trademark “Uni-Compax”. Universal Geneve enthusiasts will immediately recognize Uni-Compax as the model name for the brand’s wide-ranging line of two-register chronographs.
Massena Lab’s trademark registration for Uni-Compax
The Universal Geneve Uni-Compax ref. 884100/01 and /02 “Big Eye” from the 1960s are perhaps the most popular vintage Uni-Compaxes from the back catalog, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Massena Lab drew inspiration from these references. Mr. Massena has also posted various teasers on his Instagram page. Most notably, he posted a strap buckle with a logo that bears a striking resemblance to the vintage Universal Geneve “U”:
Massena Lab has collaborated with a number of brands on excellent releases over the past few years, including Habring2, Unimatic, and MB&F. Each of its releases has been nearly universally applauded by collectors and enthusiasts. If Universal Geneve, a brand that essentially died during the quartz crisis and is now beloved by vintage enthusiasts (especially for its array of chronographs) is going to be brought back, the team at Massena Lab is as capable as any of achieving a successful revival. With nearly 50 different vintage references featuring the Uni-Compax name (per Sala’s Universal Watch Geneve), it’s hard to know what exact form a modern Massena Lab Uni-Compax might take. But here’s to hoping for a potential revival of the Universal Geneve Uni-Compax that’s as good as the originals.