UNIVERSALDESCOMBES & PERRET1894 18 January. Universal Watch trade name registered as number 6731 at 8 a.m. by Descombes & Perret, watchmakers, rue du Collège in Locle. 15 May. Patent No. 8014 for a 12 and 24 hours watch with volvelle with instantaneous leap mechanism.1897 5 April. Death of Numa-Emile Descombes at Locle.PERRET & BERTHOUD1897 22 July. Transfer of the trade name to Perret & Berthoud, merchants, 7, rue Daniel Jean Richard, registration No. 9420.1898 2 September. Universal Watch Extra trademark registered as No. 10407.1919 circa. Universal's head office is transferred to Geneva, rue de l'Arquebuse. From this date all patents and trade names were registered there to Perret & Berthoud S.A.1925 circa. Auto-rem International Patents No. 91051 & 91463. The first automatically wound wristwatch produced by Universal. (spring-buffer oscillating weight mechanism).1927-29 Introduction of Cabriolet and 8-day watches.1929 22 June. Adoption of logo noud de marine, registration No. 70456.1933 12 August. Death of George-Ulysse Perret at Geneva. He is succeeded by his son Raoul. The company becomes Universal Watch Co. Ltd., Geneva.UNIVERSAL WATCH CO. LTD GENEVA. PERRET & BERTHOUD S.A.1934 2 March. Universal Watch Supra trademark registered No. 82197 7/17 April. Exhibit at the Basel Fair for the first time. 9 June. Universal Watch Compur trademark registered No. 83024 Compur trademark registered No. 83340 Realisation of a wrist chronograph with two push-pieces. The first movement used was fitted with two wheels "in column". 19 October. Universtel trademark registered, No. 884352.1935 New address at 43, Rue du Rhône, Geneva with a second entrance on the Grand Quai. 3 August. Universal Watch U.W. trademark registered, No. 86433 together with a new logo. 30 August. Universal trademark registered, No. 86557. 29 October UWECO trademark registered, No. 86915. 19 November. Universal Watch Contax trademark registered, No. 87088. Realisation of the wrist chronograph Compax with 12-hour and 30-minute counter.1936 Uni-compax. Presentation of a wrist chronograph with 45 minute counter which progressively replaces the Compur range from the beginning of the 1940's.1937 Introduction of a ladies' wrist chronograph fitted with 10 1/2 movement, the smallest made at the time. 2 October. Universal Watch Geneva trademark registered, No. 91533. 14 October. Universalor trademark registered, No. 91631. Universalis trademark registered, No. 91632. Universalum trademark registered, No. 91633. Universal Geneva trademark and new logo registered, No. 91634. Logo in the form of a coat of arms with the date 1894 registered No. 91635, without the date, No. 91636.1940 6 November. Aero-compax Patent No. 235608. This was a Compax chronograph fitted with a fourth subsidiary dial at 12 o'clock which memorised the starting time of an operation. It did this by means of a supplementary crown at 9 o'clock.1941 circa Introduction of a totalling chronograph for air navigation and other military counters. 31 January. Inauguration of the Ponts-de-Martel factory for chronographs and counters. 22 September. Supplementary Patent No. 239879 for the aero-compax concerning the uncoupling of the crown placed at 9 o'clock. 2 October/9 November. Aero-compax presented at the Maison de Genève.1942 René Perret, brother of Raoul becomes a director.1943 21 August/6 September. Presentation of the "Calendar-watch" at the Maison de Genève, with or without moon phases, subsidiary seconds at 9 o'clock, calendar at 3 o'clock, day of the week at 12 o'clock, month and moon at 6 o'clock.MANUFACTURE DES MONTRES UNIVERSAL, PERRET ET BERTHOUD S.A., GENEVE1944 22 April/2 May. Official launching of Tri-compax on the occasion of the50th anniversary of the Company during the Basel Fair. The watch had previously been shown at the Maison de Genève from August 21,to September 6, 1943. The Tri-compax chronograph with calendar and moon phases, was one of the greatest commercial horological successes of the century 24 October. Patent No. 247483 for a method of attaching the movement in its case.1945 circa. Introduction into the Compax range of Medico-compax, chronograph with a pulse scale, and of Dato-compax, fitted with a day of the month scale at 12 o'clock. 4 December. Patent No. 251146 "Method of fixing an automatic movement in its case".1947 3 March. Death of Louis-Edouard Berthoud at Geneva.1948 circa. Introduction of the 138 calibre, an automatic movement of 12 1/2 with subsidiary seconds, later with centre-seconds (Calibre 138 ss) and with subsidiary seconds and date indication (Calibre 138 monodate). The movement of the oscillating mass giving single direction winding is limited by buffers.1950 First watch with enamelled dial, painted or cloisonné, shown during Montres & bijoux, Geneva.1952 9 October. Leap-second mechanism, Patent No. 301862. 8 November. "Bi-directional automatic winding mechanism using a rotating mass", Patent No. 308028.1953 11/21 April. Introduction during the Basel Fair of waterproof wrist chronographsTri-Compax. 1 September. Waterproof winding crown, Patent No. 311860. 18 September. Two part watch dial, Patent No. 311295.MANUFACTURE DES MONTRES UNIVERSAL, PERRET FRERES S.A.,CAROUGE-GENEVE1954 28 April. Opening of the new factory at Geneva. This complex was considered at the time to be the most innovative ever as much for its infrastructure as for its equipment. The Grand Quai building remains the company's showroom. 15 November. The Polerouter or Polarouter. When an aircraft of S.A.S. flew over the North Pole thus inaugurating the Polar route to America, the crew were equipped with a precision automatic watch (Calibre 138). Following this exploit, the models Polerouter, Polerouter de luxe designed by Gérald Genta were introduced.1955 2 March. Double differential automatic watch, Patent No. 329448 giving improved winding. 27 May. Microtor, Patent No. 329805. In parallel with the Buren Watch Company, development of a new form of automatic calibre with the oscillating mass incorporated in the movement. (calibre 215 & 215ss).1956 29 February. Patent No. 328835 Semi-rigid metal watch strap with special snap. 14/24 April. Introduction during the Basel fair of the Polerouter Jet and the Polerouter Jet Date, the thinnest waterproof automatic watches of the period; Movement Microtor calibre 110, patented 26 March, No. 336013. 29 November. Patent No. 333993 "Mechanism to permit the manual winding of an automatic watch".1957 30 January. Improvements to Microtor, Patent No. 330900 and additional Patent, No. 336004, 27 July.1958 17 July. "Motion-work for direct centre-seconds", Patent No. 349542. 15 August. Patent No. 344865, "winding mechanisms".1959 3 December. Improvements to Microtor, Patent No. 362366.1960 7 September. Patent No. 375284, "winding mechanism". December. Introduction of Polerouter Geneva and Polerouter Geneva Date.1961 15/25 April. Introduction during the Basel Fair of Polerouter Sub. 16 June. Patent No. 370265, "watch strap fastening".1962 22 August. Patent No. 385745, "torsion oscillator for an electronic watch", taken out in conjunction with Movado.1963 2 February. Patent No. 388195, "automatic watch with reverser" allowing better rewinding. 20/30 April. Introduction during the Basel Fair of the models Railrouter and Polerouter electric.1965 10 February. Patent No. 432389, "winding and setting mechanism". 14 June. Patent No. 470743, "Instantaneous leap calendar". 9 September. Patent No. 444055, "semi-instantaneous leap calendar". 30 September. Patent No. 460644, "date setting mechanism".1966 16/26 April. Introduction during the Basel Fair of the Golden Shadow range "the thinnest automatic watch in the world", Calibre 66 and 67 date designed by Gérald Genta.1968 April. Introduction during the Basel Fair of the chronograph Space Compax. fitted with a waterproof case and rotable bezel. Introduction of Tuning Unisonic, watch with diapason frequency regulation, produced in collaboration with Bulova.1970 Development of a small series of watches fitted with a Beta 21, quartz movement, abandoned because of its size.1975 April. Introduction during the Basel Fair of a calibre 74, "the thinnest analogue quartz movement in the world" (1mm thick).1977 7 September. Patent No. 617310 "anti-dust watch case". 18 October. Patent No. 619345 "waterproof watch case".1983 22 August. Patent No. 654168, "watch case". June. Inauguration of workshops at 2, Route des Acacias, in Geneva.MONTRES UNIVERSAL S.A.1988 6 May. Inauguration of new premises for the firm at Thônex. Charles F. Dom appointed President and General Director.1989 1 April. Purchase of Universal Watch by the Stelux Group.1992 1 July. Fred Santschi becomes President.1993 Opening of a new production unit at Bienne.1994 Special watch commemorating Universal's centenary - the double face Cabriolet(calibre UG 42 - 8 3/4) - so-called Golden Janus.PRIZES:1956 Golden Rose, Baden Baden.1962 Grand Prix of the city of Geneva.1964 Grand Prix, Exposition Suisse de Lausanne.1968 New York Diamonds International Award Prix of the city of Basel.