1970s Jules Racine Chronograph

It would be difficult to not outright address the glaring resemblance of this Jules Racine’s dial to that of the cherished Universal Genève Compax “Blue Exotic Nina Rindt”. Just as in the UG, this dial is made by the adorned dial maker Singer. The primary color of the dial is a midnight blue that shimmers in when capturing light. The stylized branding painted in white gives off a very dramatic statement that this is not a Universal, but rather a Jules Racine. The exterior of the dial gives off an illusionary impression of being slightly galvanized due to the contrasting lighter teal transition and white demarcations. Each of the faceted hour markers have a red line to match the chronograph hand creating a harmonious ensemble.

The case is unpolished with a fantastic sunburst polish with dimensions of 43mm x 38mm, with a height of roughly 13mm. The lug width is 18mm. The pump pushers give off a very tactile experience when engaging the chronograph and are nicely protected by the case profile. Instead of a tachymeter bezel, this model features a teal bidirectional bezel with 12 numerals.

It is powered by the Excelsior Park calibre 40-68signed Gallet which originated in the mid 1960s. The watch was destined for the American market as the movement features an import code JXR (J. Racine Co., Gallet). The watch is paired to a beautiful 17mm J.B. Champion bracelet, but would certainly look just as great on a blue suede or rally strap.