You may have seen references to the Universal Geneve 222102, either the Universal Geneve 222102/1 or the 222102/2. I want to clarify that I have not seen any of these pieces in person. Given how close the known serials are, however, it seems likely that these are original pieces.
These have been noted online as being early productions of the “Clapton”, prior to the reference 881101.
Examples:
1. The book ‘Universal Geneve Watch’ by Petro Sala. This book features an image of what is referenced as a 222102/1, as follows. There are no additional images or information in the book. The image is in black and white, so I cannot tell the color of the month/day or chrono seconds hand. I also cannot tell the language of the month/day wheels.
I can only speculate if the 222102/1 referenced here is a model number, used prior to reference introduction, or if it was an early reference number.
2. Phillips sale of a Universal Geneve 222102/1 at their HONG KONG 7 auction (2018). The watch serial is 2’335’198 and quoted as made in 1964. We can’t see, unfortunately, the trailing “/1” on this caseback due to scratches and image.
Curiously, this reference number sits between two serials with reference 881101/01 (2335140 and 2335249). Hmmm.
Regarding design, this watch features a blue chrono seconds hand and black month/day wheels with black text in Italian. ‘SWISS T’ text at 6 o’clock.
3. Reference to the 222102/1 on OmegaForums both here (“Ref. 881101 immediately followed the Ref. 222102, and this early example bears all of the same characteristics of its predecessor: smaller pushers, earlier crown, and blue chrono hand (instead of red)”) and here (original post referenced ‘Didn’t find the most information about the 222102 which came before the 881101′ before editing’). No images are shown.
Though I don’t look at the “Evil Clapton” in this research, I am going to mention the below as the mentions of this reference (222102) is so small.
1. The only public caseback image with reference (and serial) number comes from Instagram, where we see a 222102/2 (serial 2335331).
2. Sale from an American dealer of a 222102. The appearance is an “Evil Clapton”. This sale was from time ago, and no caseback image is available nor is the serial number from the dealer. This watch features red month and day, in English, and a red “drop” chrono second hand.
3. Sale from a European dealer of a 222102-2, though the caseback is not shown. This watch features black month and day text, in Spanish, with silver main hands, including chrono. There is no lume on the dial. Serial is consistent with the others, 2335xxx.
With so few of these examples to date, and fewer with shown caseback, it is difficult to assess why these reference 222102s exist, and what the intention was in using this case number.