Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Microtor UG 66
2006
Microtor UG 100
S elf-winding watches
The first watch automatically wound by means of
Universal Genve trademarks 1936, 1940, 1957
4
The chief assets of this calibre were the anti-
magnetic balance-spring and balance (the latter
being of the bimetallic glucydur type with
screws), as well as the balance-cock fitted with
a fine-adjustment system and Incabloc shock-
absorbers. For the version with a date display,
since the date-jump could be adjusted in one
direction only, the time could thus be set counter-
clockwise without making the date jump, which
was not the case with previous Calibres. The 40-
hour power reserve was perfectly respectable at
the time. The movement was equipped with 17
top-quality jewels. The setting-lever was connec-
ted to an arbor that need only be pressed in order
to pull out the winding-stem.
Patent n 308028
5
Company on the first ever flight from Europe to
the United States via the polar circle.
Universal Genve showroom on the quaysides of the Rhne - Geneva Mr Perret & Mr Amann (Director SAS Geneva)
M icrotor watches
On May 27th 1955, Universal Genve filed patent
n 329805 with the Intellectual Property Bureau.
Published on June 30th 1958, it protected an
ultra-thin self-winding watch comprising a micro-
oscillating weight with an off-centred rotation
axis: the first Microtor Calibre UG 215 produced
by Universal Genve was born.
6
1958, for a self-winding movement with central
seconds wheel and pinion, comprising a rotating
oscillating weight integrated within the movement
and featuring an axis off-set in relation to the
movement. The micro-oscillating weight was
positioned in the space left free by the barrel and
balance, and turns in bearings carried exclu-
Calibre UG 215-2 sively by a bridge.
7
December 31st 1958, for the creation of a watch adjustment, since the balance-cock was equipped
model equipped with both a hand-wound and a with a micrometrical adjustment screw, thereby
self-winding system, and built in such a way that providing enhanced precision and facilitating
these two systems worked independently of each adjustment.
other. This new construction for a Microtor was
characterised by a pinion fixed to the barrel-arbor
by two discs, each fixed to one of the bases of the
pinion, on the same plane as the latter, and by
two superimposed wheels placed between these
discs and each linked to one of the winding
mechanisms. Each of these wheels is driven by
the adjacent disc and carries at least one coupling
organ designed to mesh with the pinion. These
coupling organs rotate in the same direction.
Calibre UG 1-69
Patent n 333993
8
with a date disc, taking the total movement thick-
ness to 4.70mm, like its forerunner the UG 215.
Nonetheless, the geometry of its micro-rotor had
been transformed.
Polerouter Sub
9
The self-winding system consisted of a ball-bearing
device for the oscillating weight and of a reverser
with three ball-bearing devices (technical note n
26) that reduced friction, thereby improving the
winding of the Calibre.
Patent n 388195
10
T he renewal of the Microtor
At the 2006 edition of the Basel Show (now named
Baselworld) and after two years of intensive
research and development, Universal Genve
sprung a surprise by presenting a 111/2 lignes
Microtor Calibre UG 100 movement stemming
from an entirely new conception, in keeping with
the traditions of the great Swiss Watch
Calibre UG 71 Manufactures.
and a date display and was 3.90mm thick, where- In developing this new Calibre, one of the main
as Calibre UG 72 also showed the days of the issues was to resolve the tough question of the
week on a second counter, increasing the total (central) deadbeat seconds display which, on the
movement thickness to 4.60mm. previous Calibres and especially the UG 66
movements, was derived from a small seconds
display at 3 oclock via a complication plate. The
movement construction thus needed to be entirely
redesigned and the position of the going train had
to be modified in order to put the seconds back
in the centre by means of a gear system involving
two third wheels.
11
of 28,800 vibrations/hour. Thanks to this system, ball-bearing system, is crafted from sintered tungs-
and for the first time in its history, Universal ten. The first ball-bearing system meshes with the
Genve earned COSC chronometer certification reverser pinion and the second with the auxiliary
for one of its Microtor movements. reverser pinion.
The balance-bridge is fitted with a balance-cock Calibre UG 100 comprises 30 top-quality mono-
and enables fine adjustment by two screws and crystalline jewels, meaning five more than Calibre
a jewelled Incabloc shock-absorbing system. UG 72.
Finally a micro-rotor with a diameter of just
12.30mm features a new geometrical shape The Calibre Microtor UG 100 drives central hour,
entirely different from the design of the brands minute and seconds hands, as well as the date
former Microtor Calibres, and which is also inno- shown at 3 oclock by means of a disc. Measuring
vative in relation to the rare competing Calibres. a total 3.80mm thick and only 26.20mm in dia-
This rotor is the smallest ever produced for a meter, this new movement is the smallest
Microtor watch, 0.38mm less than the size of the Microtor Calibre equipped with similar functions
rotors equipping Calibres UG 66 and UG 71. ever produced by Universal Genve.
The bidirectional rotor, mounted on a double
Microtor UG 100
M icrotor UG 101
2007 Baselworld International Watch and Jewellery
Show: Universal Genve, 1 year after the presenta-
tion of the Microtor UG 100 used in the assembling
of a limited officially chronometer-certified gold
edition of 100 watches (20 in yellow gold and 80
in pink gold), proudly introduce Calibre UG 101
adapted to series production criteria.
Microtor UG 101
13
Going-train bridge
Barrel-bar
Centre wheel
Balance-cock and pinion
Balance
Barrel
Micro-rotor
Ball bearings
Winding-stem
Mainplate
Universal Genve 100 ans de tradition horlogre, Brevet n 388195, Manufacture des Montres
Italo Bonifacio et Laura Rivolta, Sothis Editrice, Universal Perret Frres, Carouge (Genve),
1994 edition dpt 2.2.1963, enregistrement 15.2.1965,
publication 15.6.1965
Liste de brevets dposs auprs du Bureau
Fdral de la proprit intellectuelle, Journal Suisse dHorlogerie
Confdration Suisse La montre Suisse remontage automatique,
Brevet n308028, Manufacture des montres Calibre Microtor Manufacture des montres
Universal Perret & Berthoud SA, Genve Universal Perret Frres Genve, par B. Humbert,
(Suisse), dpt 8.11.1952, enregistrement XIII 2me srie, parution n4, aot 1961
30.6.1955, publication 1.9.1955
La montre Suisse remontage automatique,
Brevet n 329805, Manufacture des Montres Calibre Super Slender Buren Watch Co., par B.
Universal Perret Frres, Carouge (Genve), Humbert, XIV 2me srie, parution n5, octobre
dpt 27.5.1955, enregistrement 15.5.1958, 1961
publication 30.6.1958
La montre automatique la plus mince du monde,
Brevet n 330900, Manufacture des Montres Calibre, publicit Universal et Buren parution
Universal Perret Frres, Carouge (Genve), n11-12, novembre - dcembre 1957
dpt 30.1.1957, enregistrement 30.6.1958,
publication 15.8.1958 Sommes-nous la veille dune rvolution dans la
construction des montres automatiques ? Par
Brevet n 333993, Manufacture des Montres H.Kocher, directeur technique de Bren Watch
Universal Perret Frres, Carouge (Genve), Co A et F. Bandi, technicien chef de la manufac-
dpt 29.11.1956, enregistrement 15.11.1958, ture des montres Universal Genve, parution n
publication 31.12.1958 9-10, septembre octobre 1957
UNIVERSAL GENVE S.A.
Geneva - Switzerland
www.universal.ch