{"id":32367,"date":"2024-10-05T10:10:51","date_gmt":"2024-10-05T08:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swiss-watch-passport.ch\/mythes-legendes-luniversal-et-lenfant-gate\/"},"modified":"2024-10-05T16:31:35","modified_gmt":"2024-10-05T14:31:35","slug":"legends-myths-the-universal-and-the-spoiled-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swiss-watch-passport.ch\/en\/legends-myths-the-universal-and-the-spoiled-child\/","title":{"rendered":"Legends & Myths, the Universal and the Spoiled Child"},"content":{"rendered":"

{Published in <\/strong>JSH 01-2020<\/strong><\/a>} Today, my Universal and I are in our 70s…<\/strong> It has never needed a repair or inspection service, and continues to tick off the hours without delay.<\/strong> It seems to me that this watch must be dreaming of a younger owner.<\/strong> Here’s its story…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kenan Tegin<\/a>, Collector, co-founder of Montres Passion magazine<\/em>
\nRegular columnist for the Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie JSH<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Kenan Tegin, the impactor! Swiss watchmaking owes it to him that in 1993, after two years of obstinacy, he launched the magazine Montre Passion for the Ringier Group, co-founded with the undersigned, who was his employee at the time. Then came Uhren Welt, in German, and, in its very first year, the Watch of the Year award. With the demise of L'Hebdo, his Mythes & L\u00e9gendes column, dedicated to the transmission of the watchmaking virus, was revived in JSH. And if he's trying to get rid of his watch collection, the stories behind it haven't said their last word<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

Where I come from in Turkey, the age-old rite of circumcision marks a teenager’s transition into adulthood. Our tradition is to celebrate the matter with a festive party, as colorful as a traditional Oriental wedding. Adults feast and dance to popular music played by small groups of musicians. Children surround the patient, playing and teasing him. There are even puppet shows. The victim, rewarded for his courage and for having survived this painful surgery without anaesthetic, receives gifts from everyone.<\/p>\n

As an only child, I’d managed to put it off. I was very afraid, in fact… Finally, ignoring my vehement protests, my parents had planned the inevitable for July 1954. I was 8 years old. My father, aware of my precocious love of watches (I already had three), had ordered me a precious Universal double-date, calibre 291 in rose gold<\/strong> from Geneva. After the ordeal, he offered it to me, certain that he was spoiling me. But I, enraged and twisted with pain – how could I appreciate it? – I angrily grabbed a pocketknife (also a gift) and an orange from the basket beside my bed. I easily ripped open the watch and squeezed out a whole juice quarter. I carefully closed the case and waited. Then I called my father and pointed out that his shitty present wasn’t working. He was very sorry. He sent it straight back to Geneva for repairs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

A few weeks later, when my aches and pains were no longer a bad memory, my Universal was back with a brand-new caliber and… no questions asked, no reproaches from the Manufacture. I wore it proudly until I was 14.<\/p>\n

Then I gifted it to my mother, who was very fond of men’s watches. In return, she compensated me with a rather flashy Doxa.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Back in Switzerland, with my lieutenant’s rank in my pocket and my Universal on my wrist, I decided that this would be my favorite watch. I’ve never parted with it, and it occupies a special place in my collection”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

#72 JSH Swiss Journal<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
JSH Journal (02\/2020)’s Cover<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Kenan Tegin, the impacter!<\/span><\/h4>
UpSolution Team<\/div>

The Swiss watchmaking industry owes him a debt of gratitude for having, in 1993, after two years of tenacity, launched the magazine Montre Passion for the Ringier group, co-founded with Jo\u00ebl A. Grandjean, who was his employee at the time. Then came Uhren Welt, in German, and, right from the first year, the Watch of the Year award. With the demise of L’Hebdo, his Mythes & L\u00e9gendes column, dedicated to the transmission of the watchmaking virus, is revived in the JSH. And if he’s trying to get rid of his watch collection, the stories behind it haven’t said their last word.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>