LUCA MIGNINI: CHANCE ENCOUNTERS AND THE APPEAL OF THE CHRONOGRAPH

Entrepreneur and former COO of the Campbell Soup Company, Luca Mignini didn't start collecting Universal Genève chronographs deliberately, but as a result of a series of unexpected discoveries. The trigger? Nearly 20 years ago, during a spontaneous stroll through a Tokyo market, a vintage Tri-Compax caught his eye and changed his collecting trajectory forever. Today one of Universal Genève's most dedicated collectors, L. Mignini remains focused on chronographs and complications, which bear witness to the art and engineering of the brand's golden age.

"At first, I collected other brands, but I've always admired Universal Genève for its wide variety of graphics, cases and tools, because in the 1930s, watches were used as tools," Luca Mignini explained to UG Magazine at vintage watch dealer Bernardini Milano, as we photographed some of this longtime collector's most remarkable chronographs.

A perceptive and sensitive collector, L. Mignini found it difficult to marry the spirit of the tool-watch with the style he was after. But one day, some 20 years ago, a spontaneous visit to a Tokyo market changed everything.

"I wasn't looking for watches that day," he recalls. "But there, at a stand, I found several, including a Universal Genève Tri-Compax in excellent condition that I really loved. It was one of the first Universal Genève I'd ever bought, and I felt like I'd discovered a treasure."

L. Mignini's unexpected discovery marked the beginning of an initiatory journey. He quickly learned that Universal, unlike many of its contemporaries, manufactured its movements in-house, while most other brands of the time used suppliers. "Learning is 95% of a collector's journey. We don't collect to own," explains Mignini. "What drives us is the love of watches."

After many years of collecting, Mignini's knowledge and interests have sharpened: "Today, I only collect chronographs, or watches with complications that include a chronograph. The Tri-Compax is one of the most emblematic models known to the general public offering calendar and moon phase."

When asked to give his top 3 among the Universal pieces he had brought, Mignini pondered the question for a few seconds before announcing that all three dated from his favorite period: the 1930s and 1940s.

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"Let's start with the third-place finisher," he announces. "An incredible Compur with a gold dial. It has several scales: telemetric and tachometric. It measures only 35 mm, but the balance of all this information is marvellous. Its special Jeanneret case with very pronounced lugs is one of my favorites."

In second place, he cites a Gray Ghost Compax, a very rare dial of which only a few examples were produced, likely for testing or as prototypes. Although the date on which this particular dial was fitted to its case and hands remains unclear, its breathtaking minimalism holds an undeniable appeal. “It dates from the 1940s,” he says. “But it looks like a modern watch. In terms of aesthetics, it was the first Universal to capture my imagination.”

But if L. Mignini had to choose just one piece from his Universal collection, it would be a 1935 Compur Colonial: “The Colonial, which was first launched in 1934, is unrivalled,” he explains. “All I’ve done with this piece is replace the strap with a vintage Gay Frères. Its tonneau case, which was enormous at a time when watches measured between 33 and 34 mm, is exceptional. It embodies all the style and sophistication you could possibly imagine. So, for me, the Colonial is the watch of my dreams.” 

For L. Mignini, several factors (beyond their obvious merits) attest to the quality of Universal Genève watches: for example, the fact that UG manufactured chronographs with gold dials for Hermès and that several air forces, notably those of Italy, Brazil and Argentina, turned to the company to produce their essential precision timepieces. But, for him, personal value goes beyond price: “You can own a Universal Genève that offers you emotions and qualities comparable to those of a million-dollar vintage watch from another brand.”