Universal Genève Polarouter was introduced in 1954. During the same year, the model was issued in a limited edition to the crew on the first SAS flights between Copenhagen and Los Angeles, which was the first route to cross the North Pole and was marketed as the "SAS Polar Route". The task of designing the Universal Genève Polarouter watch was given to the relatively unknown watch designer Gérald Genta, who later designed both the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus. The first watches in this future classic from Universal Genève bear the SAS emblem on the dial and the text Polarouter instead of Polerouter.

HOX was commonly seen on both Patek Philippe and Universal watches that were brought into America by HSWA, also known as Henri Stern Watch Agency (Patek Philippe USA). During the 1940s and 1950s, Swiss watches imported into America were often stamped with import marks on the movement bridges. Interestingly, there were also instances where the import mark was found on the inside of the caseback instead of the movement.

It was customary for each Swiss watch brand to have a specific import mark that indicated the company responsible for importing the watch. Examples of these import marks included VXN for Vacheron Constantin, AYP for Audemars Piguet, and ROW for Rolex.