21
Universal Genève
Ref. 22522
Film-Compax
An exceptionally rare oversized stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with red and black filmometer scale
Estimate
$12,000–24,000
Live June 13, 10:00 AM ET
Manufacturer
Universal Genève
Year
Circa 1945, Switzerland
Reference No
22522
Movement No
261’268
Case No
1’174’518
Model Name
Film-Compax
Material
Stainless steel
Calibre
Manual, cal. 287, 17 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
Leather
Clasp/Buckle
Stainless steel
Dimensions
37mm Diameter
Signed
Case, dial, and movement signed. Movement additionally stamped with UOW import mark.
Full-Cataloguing
GOOD TO KNOW
• 8 known examples
• Probably only watch made specifically for filmographers
• Movement stamped with UOW and correct 1’174’XXX movement number range
• Fresh-to-market, from family of the original owner, a Hollywood legend
The Film-Compax was a mythological model known only to the archives of Universal for decades. Before the discovery of the present watch, only seven examples had been identified.
The dial displays probably the rarest calibration scale found on any chronograph: the filmometer. The black outer ring is calibrated for the number of feet of 35mm film used, which was considered the “professional” standard for motion pictures of the era. With the standard exposure rate of 24 frames per second, filming consumed 1.5 feet of film per second. So for example, while shooting a 30-second scene, it would indicate 45 feet of 35mm film was used. The inner red ring indicates the number of feet of less costly 16mm film, which consumed 0.6 feet of film per second.
All known Film-Compaxes fall into a narrow range of movement and case numbers – the present piece fits perfectly within the serial number range.
Adding to its exceptionality, the present Film-Compax is being offered directly from the family of the original owner, Jean Hersholt, a Danish-American actor and director active in the film industry between 1924 and 1955. He worked with some of the foremost actors and directors of the era, appearing in both silent films and “talkies”. He was awarded three honorary Academy Awards, and after his death in 1956, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, of which he had been a former president, established the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award. No doubt that someone as deeply involved in the nascent film industry of the 20th century would find the Film-Compax a compelling tool watch for his work.
Consigned by the grandson of Jean Hersholt, Phillips is thrilled to present only the third ever Film-Compax to appear at public auction, and an example previously unknown to scholarship.
• 8 known examples
• Probably only watch made specifically for filmographers
• Movement stamped with UOW and correct 1’174’XXX movement number range
• Fresh-to-market, from family of the original owner, a Hollywood legend
The Film-Compax was a mythological model known only to the archives of Universal for decades. Before the discovery of the present watch, only seven examples had been identified.
The dial displays probably the rarest calibration scale found on any chronograph: the filmometer. The black outer ring is calibrated for the number of feet of 35mm film used, which was considered the “professional” standard for motion pictures of the era. With the standard exposure rate of 24 frames per second, filming consumed 1.5 feet of film per second. So for example, while shooting a 30-second scene, it would indicate 45 feet of 35mm film was used. The inner red ring indicates the number of feet of less costly 16mm film, which consumed 0.6 feet of film per second.
All known Film-Compaxes fall into a narrow range of movement and case numbers – the present piece fits perfectly within the serial number range.
Adding to its exceptionality, the present Film-Compax is being offered directly from the family of the original owner, Jean Hersholt, a Danish-American actor and director active in the film industry between 1924 and 1955. He worked with some of the foremost actors and directors of the era, appearing in both silent films and “talkies”. He was awarded three honorary Academy Awards, and after his death in 1956, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, of which he had been a former president, established the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award. No doubt that someone as deeply involved in the nascent film industry of the 20th century would find the Film-Compax a compelling tool watch for his work.
Consigned by the grandson of Jean Hersholt, Phillips is thrilled to present only the third ever Film-Compax to appear at public auction, and an example previously unknown to scholarship.