Selection: Thevintageur x italianwatchspotter
SPECIFICATIONS
Exceptional UTI cufflinks with an integrated watch in a solid 18K yellow gold case, hand-wound movement, AS 1012 base, from the mid-1940s. The second cufflink is without the watch and features the acronym “HWC”.
Solid 18K yellow gold case measuring 18.3mm x 14.4mm
Original crown
Original crystal
Hand-wound movement AS 1012 (base)
ANALYSIS
Besancon is a town in eastern France located near the Jura Mountains and on the banks of the Doubs River. It has been the cradle of French watchmaking since its inception, with strong connections to Switzerland, which is only about 60km away. When Georges Meyer—an entrepreneur who began selling watches in bulk in Paris on December 23, 1880—decided to open a factory in Bensacon for the direct production of luxury watches, he called it “Utinam,” which literally means “To will to God” and was the motto of the town of Bensacon. On September 18, 1905, the sub-brand “UTI” was born from a contraction of the name “Utinam.” Under this name, high-end watches, especially chronometers, were produced in Bensacon. At the time, Meyer already had three watch production centers: one in Paris, one in Bensacon, and another in La Chaux-de-Fonds, at 58, rue Léopold Robert. On September 22, 1940, Georges’s son, Giles Meyer, renamed the company UTI S.A. It was Giles’s son, Jacques Meyer, who brought the Maison to its final demise. His final act was to celebrate the company’s centenary by publishing a book of poems about time in 1980, as a gift and as a thank you to his collaborators. The publication contained 100 poems written by 100 different authors (including Victor Hugo, Jean Cocteau, Jacques Prévert, and many other important writers) over those 100 years (1880-1980).
These cufflinks with integrated timepieces represent an exceptional example of UTI’s high-quality production, which between the 1920s and 1950s was at the pinnacle of high-end watchmaking.
The dial of the micro-watch is double-layered: it allows the golden hemispheres positioned at the hours to pass through from the lower part. Similarly, the UTI inscription at 12 o’clock and the Swiss inscription at 6 o’clock are carved through the upper dial (also known as the “sandwich dial”). It has a brushed finish that contrasts with the gleam of the clean surface of the gold hemispheres. The micro-hands for the hours and minutes are shaped like narrow pencils.
The case also features two different, overlapping layers: the lower one almost forms a frame for the smaller one above, which houses the miniaturized watch. The original crown is located on the shorter side. The entire structure is made of solid 18K gold, certified by the double eagle’s head hallmark, the French symbol for certifying 18K gold. Both the case and the movement are signed UTI Paris.
The movement inside is a AS 1012 (base), reworked and signed by UTI. It is a pseudo-rectangular movement produced since 1936; it has 17 jewels, a 44-hour power reserve, and runs at 18,000 A/h.
The other cufflink has no watch and is structured as a single rectangular frame-shaped element inscribed with the three letters “HWC,” representing the acronym of the original owner’s name. Both cufflinks have a “T”-shaped attachment, whose horizontal section, shaped like a small box, passed through the cuff buttonhole to hold them in place.
