Is the Universal Geneve Nina Rindt better than a Paul Newman Rolex Daytona?

The story of Nina Rindt is much more romantic than that of Paul Newman...

In the world of watch collecting, it is quite common to nickname watches after famous people who have worn them or had a special attachment to them. Rolex, for example, owns the "Paul Newman" Daytona. ", the "Steve McQueen" Explorer II and the "James Bond" Submariner, not to mention the Rolex superheroes that dominate the market.

In this article I would like to introduce you to a watch that has been selling at very attractive prices in recent years. This watch is named after a female style icon from the 1970s, can you guess it?

Who is Nina Rindt?

Her maiden name is Nina Lincoln. Still can't figure it out? How about Jochen Karl Rindt? Does that ring a bell?

The watch is none other than the Universal Geneve Compax "Nina Rindt" Ref.885.103/2.

Nina Lincoln is a former international model and the widow of the late Formula One World Champion Jochen Karl Rindt, a driver who tragically lost his life after crashing during a practice session at the 1970 Monza Grand Prix.

Nina accompanied her husband everywhere and was often seen at the edge of the track, timing Jochen's laps. On her wrist, a gift from her husband: this Universal Geneve Compax chronograph on a wide "bund" leather strap.

Do you see any similarities?

At first glance, the "Nina Rindt", produced between 1964 and 1967, could be mistaken for a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241.

Indeed, the two watches have many similarities. To name a few: the dial layout, the tachymeter bezel, the pump pushers, the movement and the overall case diameter.

This article does not cover vintage Daytonas.

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Nina Rindt in detail

All Universal Geneve Compax "Nina Rindt" Ref.885.103/2 feature a case that measures just over 36mm wide, with twisted lugs.

The dial of the Ref. 885.103/2 is a classic “panda dial”: a predominantly white face with black Compax chronograph subdials. Its sister – the Ref. 885.103/1 – is a reverse panda: the colour scheme is reversed. This latter model is nicknamed the “Evil Nina” by avid collectors.

The beating heart of this historic watch is Universal Geneve's Caliber 85 - a modified version of the famous Valjoux 72 movement. This is a cutting-edge chronograph movement that was used by many watchmakers such as Rolex for their early hand-wound Daytonas.

The bezel features a tachymeter scale, with graduations from 60 to 500 units. This feature must have been invaluable to Nina as she sat trackside. There is, however, a very rare variant of the Universal Geneve "Nina Rindt", with a pulsometer scale on the bezel.

To operate the chronograph complication, as Nina did for her beloved Jochen, simply press the "pump" pushers located at 2 and 4 o'clock. Unlike many other chronographs of the time, the Universal Geneve "Nina Rindt" model will never feature "screw-down" pushers.

Finally, the bracelet. When purchased new, this iconic Universal Geneve watch came with a matching steel bracelet, featuring a branded clasp, made by none other than the legendary Gay Frères.

The after-sales market profile of the Universal Geneve Compax Nina Rindt

It is impossible to put a price on the original Universal Geneve Compax "Nina Rindt" Ref.885103/2, belonging to Nina Lincoln, since it seems that it is still in her possession!

To get an idea of ​​the minimum price, just take a look at the history of this model that has caused a lot of ink to flow at auctions. After going through the archives of the famous Phillips auction house, we discovered that a ref.885.105 was sold for 24,700 euros in 2015, a ref.885.103/02 for 24,300 euros in 2018 and another ref.885.103/02 (without bracelet) for 20,200 euros in 2020.

The auction figures mentioned above suggest that its historical value has appreciated for 40 years, which is reflected financially. However, I think the fact that it has maintained its value over the last 10 years is much more remarkable. This relative stability indicates that it has (thankfully) not fallen victim to the whirlwind of madness of its rival Rolex, which has achieved mind-blowing prices in recent years.

Naturally, if Nina's "Nina Rindt" ever appears at auction, those prices will likely be multiplied by 10... at least. After all, you're paying for a piece of history and a poignant love story.