William Massena?s first Massena LABs watch released without a collaborator is back for a sequel of sorts. The Uni-Racer is now available in three new colorways, each of which can be seen as a fanciful expansion of the format, while the original remains a remarkably faithful tribute in execution and spirit to the vintage Universal Geneve watch that served as Massena?s initial inspiration. The first Uni-Racer generated quite a bit of discussion here and elsewhere for its apparent qualities as an ?homage? (might as well be a four letter word) watch, but these seem to be far enough removed from the original UG to merely hint at it, rather than present as a copy. 

You?ll recall from our story that introduced the Uni-Racer (linked above) that the watch is Massena?s take on the Universal Geneve Uni-Compax, often referred to in the watch community simply as ?The Big Eye? for its oversized subdial at 3:00. That watch, like many UGs from the era, has ballooned in price in recent years as the surge of interest in vintage watches has lifted every boat in the sea. Massena?s idea with the Uni-Racer was to present an updated, ever so slightly modernized version of the Big Eye with something of a sly wink. He?s incorporated a lot of fun vintage inspired details, from the appearance of the wordmark to the signature on the crystal, in a sly way that only someone who is deeply invested in the world of these watches could conceivably attempt. He?s also increased the case size slight...