184 Universal Genève A rare, oversized and important, TIPO CP-2, fly-back manual chronograph wristwatch in steel, with black dial, rotatable bezel made for A. Cairelli.
Estimate: € 10.000 – 20.000
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- Model TIPO CP-2 A.M.I.
- Year Circa 1960s
- Case Material Stainless steel
- Case Number 200'889
- Bracelet Material Leather strap
- Movement Manual, cal. 285 P, 17 jewels
- Dimension 43mm Diameter
- Signed Case, dial and movement
Born to military specification rather than commercial ambition, this “Cronometro da Polso Tipo CP-2” was conceived for the Aeronautica Militare Italiana in the 1960s, at a time when functionality was not marketing rhetoric but a matter of operational necessity. The engraving on the caseback — “AMI CRONOMETRO TIPO CP-2 MM 200889” states that this was government property, issued for duty, engineered for precision under pressure.
The imposing 43 mm steel case immediately sets the tone. It is unapologetically large, with strong lugs and a purposeful rotating bezel calibrated for navigational timing. The black dial is a masterclass in clarity: oversized luminous Arabic numerals, generous subsidiary registers, and the distinctive arrow-tipped chronograph seconds hand, all designed to be read at a glance in a cockpit environment.
Signed “A. Cairelli Roma” above six o’clock, the dial links the watch to one of Rome’s most respected retailers, the conduit through which these instruments were supplied to the Italian Air Force. While Zenith would later deliver a larger documented batch of CP-2s, examples manufactured by Universal Genève are encountered far less frequently, and when they surface, they tend to disappear quickly into serious collections.
Technically, the watch houses a flyback chronograph movement. With a single press of the lower pusher, the chronograph hand snaps back to zero and immediately resumes timing.
In the universe of military chronographs, where names like Zenith, Breitling and even Panerai occasionally enter the conversation, the Universal Genève CP-2 Cairelli occupies a special place. It is rarer than many of its counterparts, purer in purpose, and aesthetically arresting in a way that transcends its utilitarian origins.
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