Universal Geneve How to spot a fake Polerouter Sub

Hello.

This is Seno from Vintage Watch Life.

In today's video, I will explain how to distinguish between a genuine and a fake Universal Geneve Polerouter Sub.

I've heard that there are a lot of fake Rolexes, but I have a Rolex collection so I'm okay...

I think there are quite a lot of people who think that way.

Unfortunately, counterfeit vintage watches do exist.

By watching today's video until the end, I believe you will be able to master how to identify a Pole Router Sub, so please stay with us until the end.

What is a Polerouter Sub?

This is a professional diver's watch that was created during the 1960s, when the diver's boom occurred in Europe and the United States.

The watch was housed in a certified waterproof EPSA case, making it water resistant to 100 metres.

For a more detailed explanation of the EPSA case, please watch this video.

Amid this diver's boom, many brands launched diver's watches.

A distinctive feature of Universal Geneve watches is that they do not use automatic winding rotors, which at the time would have resulted in thick rotors and bulky cases, but instead use micro-rotors, which allow for a slimmer design.

The case diameter is 42mm to ensure visibility and operability even while diving, and radium luminous paint is used on the hands and indexes.

It is possible to find a fair number of 35mm diver's watches if you look hard enough, but 42mm professional watches are hard to come by. Longines' Legend Diver and IWC Aquatimer are also popular and trade at high prices.

This concludes the simple explanation of the Pole Router Sub.

How to tell if a PoleRouter Sub is genuine

The most annoying thing when we try to buy a Polerouter is that the fake ones also have the same movement.

Of course, this was taken from another Universal Geneva, and since the shape is exactly the same, this gave me peace of mind and led me to buy it.

This is not a key point for determining authenticity, but it does give you an idea of ​​just how well fakes are made.

If you looked only at this movement, I think you would mistake it for the real thing even if it was a fake.

However, this is only about the movement, and if you look closely at the exterior, you will find some differences.

First of all, it is said that there are first and second generation EPSA models of the Polerouter Sub, but the world knows that the second generation watch is a fake.

Now, we will explain in detail how to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit.

1. The crown size is different

The Polerouter Sub has crowns at the 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock positions, but the crown at the 2 o'clock position turns the inner bezel.

The crown at 4 o'clock functions as a normal crown.

The problem here is the size.

The one on the right is real and the one on the left is fake, please look at the red circle in the image above.

On an authentic Polerouter Sub, the crown at the 2 o'clock position is large, and the crown at the 4 o'clock position is roughly half that size.

However, the fake ones are equipped with both crowns of the same size.

Also, if you look at the top of the fake crown, you can see the characteristic EPSA cross-hatching mark.

At first glance it doesn't seem like a fake, but if you look at the area circled in blue, you will see that the genuine crown at the 4 o'clock position has the U logo, which stands for Universal Genève.

2. The case color is different

The one on the left is the fake and the one on the right is the real thing, but the fake case is made of tarnished steel and has some spots, giving the impression of poor quality.

A genuine case has a glossy surface, is sturdy, and has a mirror finish that reflects light when exposed to it.

Also, although you won't really know this until you hold it in your hand, when you turn the crown at the 4 o'clock position, it doesn't feel like you're turning it.

The crown turns, but because it does not fit snugly with the case, you cannot hear it unless you listen very closely.

The inner bezel at the 2 o'clock position is also poorly designed, as the watch turns smoothly when facing up, but when turned upside down, it spins freely and causes the clutch to slip.

3. The logo and layout are different

If you take a close look at the logos, you will see that both say " UNIVERSAL GEN ÉVE ."

Now, what I would like you to take a look at is the " GEN ÉVE" section.

The real one simply says " GEN ÉVE", but the fake one has a small gap like a half-width space between " NE " and "VE", like "GENÉ VE".

Also, the real thing has a serif above the E, but the fake has no serif above the E.

4. The way the luminous paint is applied is different

A genuine Polerouter Sub only has small dots of luminous paint placed on the tips of the white painted circular indexes.

On a fake watch, all the indexes are covered in luminous paint.

Also, on the inner bezel of a fake watch, none of the numbers have luminous paint, but on the real watch, the triangular pointer and the numbers 10 and 20 have luminous paint.

summary

To sum up, the Polerouter Sub is currently trading at around 2 million yen, and will likely trade at even higher prices in the future.

Although it is a popular watch, it is not a famous brand.

So we often let our guard down and buy things without checking whether they are real or fake, but because counterfeits like these do exist, it is important to be well-informed.

I have introduced four points, and I think many of them can be easily recognized just by looking at the appearance, so I hope you will use this as reference before making a purchase.