1960s Universal Geneve Compax "Evil Nina"

Founded back in 1894, Universal Genve is credited with a wide assortment of different watches, with its Compax series of chronographs being some of the most famous and sought-after by today’s collectors. Among these is the reference 885103, which was famously worn by Nina Rindt, a European fashion model and style icon who was frequently spotted wearing a Universal Geneve Compax while she timed laps for her late husband and Formula 1 racing driver, Jochen Rindt. With that in mind, while the specific version worn by Nina Rindt was the ref. 885103/02 that is fitted with a white dial with black registers, the ref. 885103/01 like the one featured in this episode of What Is On My Wrist is known as the “Evil Nina” because it represents the inverted colorway, with a black dial, white registers, and a bright red seconds hand. 

Despite its different dial and hands, the Universal Geneve Compax ref. 885103/01 “Evil Nina” features the same 36mm stainless steel case with twisted lugs and pump-style pushers. Similarly, the “Evil Nina” is also powered by the same manually-wound Valjoux 72 movement that can be found inside many other famous vintage watches from this era, which features a 12-hour chronograph displayed by a trio of registers. Additionally, while most “Nina Rindt” and “Evil Nina” watches are fitted with black tachymeter bezels that include anodized aluminum inserts (similar to what you will find on an Omega Speedmaster), this particular example features an extremely rare Units Per Hour “UPH” bezel that is made from black acrylic, like the style of bezel fitted to a Rolex Daytona ref. 6241 or ref. 6263.

Although Universal Geneve has been picking up a lot of attention in more recent years, the company still remains slightly under the radar and its vintage lineup of Compax chronographs offer a lot of value for the money compared to similar offerings from other more mainstream brands. In addition to the white dial “Nina Rindt” and the black dial “Evil Nina” like the watch featured in this video, there are also rare versions of the Universal Geneve Compax ref. 885103 that are fitted with “exotic” dials in blue and silver, and this diversity helps create interesting variations for individuals to pursue and collect. With a black “reverse panda” dial, chunky cigarette-style chronograph hands, and a bright red centrally-mounted seconds hand, the Universal Geneve Compax “Evil Nina” ref. 885103/01 offers a significantly different presence on the wrist compared to the classic white dial model, and it represents the brand’s approach to a purpose-built sports chronograph built during the glory days of mechanical timekeeping.