This exceptionally rare piece is among only a handful ever to surface on the market. Pocket watches with two chronograph pushers at three and five o’clock are about as elusive as they come. Add to that a multi-scale black glossy gilt dial, and you’re firmly in unicorn territory.
The name Perret & Berthoud, or Berthoud Genève, might be new to many, but seasoned Universal Genève followers know it well.
It marks the partnership that shaped the brand’s formative decades. After the death of Numa-Émile Descombes in 1897, Ulysse-Georges Perret brought in Louis-Édouard Berthoud, creating a duo that would define Universal’s identity for more than half a century.
From the start, they signaled ambition: patenting a jumping-hour mechanism in 1894, quickly earning a reputation for precision and inventive thinking. By 1906, Perret & Berthoud had secured a gold medal at the Milan Exhibition and top-grade chronometer certificates, placing them among Switzerland’s most serious young manufacturers.
They moved boldly into wristwatches as early as 1917, producing wrist chronographs for the Italian army at a time when few brands had mastered the format. Following the company’s relocation to Geneva in 1919, Berthoud’s technical influence remained central as the firm refined its aesthetic and mechanical identity.
By 1940, the company evolved into Manufacture des Montres Universal, Perret & Berthoud SA, setting the stage for the chronograph excellence and technical innovation that would become Universal Genève’s hallmark.
Berthoud’s legacy endures quietly but unmistakably, the foundation on which Universal’s most iconic achievements were built.
If you want the full story behind Berthoud and Universal Genève, make sure to explore this website. : https://www.time2tell.com/en/history-of-the-brands/26-the-true-story-of-perret-berthoud-manufacture-des-montres-universal-part-one-history.html
