The Polerouter is already one of the great mid-century watch stories — born in 1954 to commemorate the first commercial transpolar flights of Scandinavian Airlines, and designed by a 23-year-old Gérald Genta who would go on to create the Royal Oak and the Nautilus. The 36mm rose gold case of reference 10234-2TL, with its elegant straight lugs characteristic of the early De Luxe, houses calibre 138SS — the original bumper automatic that powered the very first Polerouters, its characteristic oscillating weight providing a gentle thumping sensation with every movement of the wrist.

But this particular example goes several steps further. Some rare De Luxe examples feature portraits of Arabian kings — a testament to Universal's success in tailoring the watch to diverse international markets. This is precisely one of those pieces: the gold dial has been engraved with the portrait and name of King Saud Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who reigned from 1953 to 1964 — almost certainly a diplomatic commission, offered as a royal gift.

This example presents in very good condition. Such pieces surface extremely rarely — a unique object with a historical dimension that no standard production watch can claim.