Thank you for making this lecture available online. I’ve been into recreational diving for 20+ years. I have a collection of dive watches and have enjoyed learning about the intersection between various watchmakers and the development of modern diving. I have both a Rolex Submariner and a Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe. Rolex and Blancpain are two of the best known manufacturers of early diving watches, but another lesser known brand is Zodiac, who I believe are considered to have produced the first commercially available divers watch in the early 1950’s, known as the ‘Sea Wolf’. The Zodiac name is owned by the Fossil group who continue to produce a series of modern reissues of their historic models. My question to the speaker would have been to ask his thoughts on the transition from these diving ‘tools’ to the expensive luxury watches we have today. The ‘X Fathoms’ he referenced at the end, as as used by a team of marine biologists costs £32,000 GBP which is a gross sum of money when it is considered that a dive computer capable of performing decompression calculations automatically can be purchased for less than £500! Nonetheless, a very interesting lecture. Many thanks!
Very interesting lecture but it needs to be noted that Rolex produced professional diving tool watches for the Italian Navy (so-called Panerai watches) since 1936. The Italian divers used oxygen rebreathers and didn't require to decompress at the end of their dives so a time recording bezel was not required. The bezel was needed for diving with compressed air which was not really a military application since it creates lots of bubbles which give away the position of a diver in the water. Military divers continued to use rebreathers which do not create bubbles as the exhaled air is recycled through a chemical process.
Thanks for some wonderful information. Still I’m not sure about some of the timelines. I was doing a little search to see where Bulova and their prototype UDT MIL-spec diver fits into all of this. What is interesting is Bulova had the contract in 1958 with pretty much the same functions as the 50 fathoms and seems to have had the watch produced if I was designing something new and revolutionary I don’t think I would let my secrets out so did Bulova copy the Blancpain? . Blancpains contract was in 1959. Please don’t misread this as arrogance I’m only trying to learn and there is not much material out there. Thanks again hopefully you can add some more information here.
Anti Rolex generally and inaccurate. Rolex DID produce the first water resistant watch, maybe not s divers watch but definitely waterproof, hence the Oyster reference. Also the helium escape valve is of no use to anyone but saturation divers and so it’s inclusion in the lecture is irrelevant.
The lecture starts at 18:00 !!!!!
Wow, this vid is a hidden gem
So glad I found this channel. These presentations are better than anything on Netflix.
Thank you for making this lecture available online. I’ve been into recreational diving for 20+ years. I have a collection of dive watches and have enjoyed learning about the intersection between various watchmakers and the development of modern diving. I have both a Rolex Submariner and a Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe. Rolex and Blancpain are two of the best known manufacturers of early diving watches, but another lesser known brand is Zodiac, who I believe are considered to have produced the first commercially available divers watch in the early 1950’s, known as the ‘Sea Wolf’. The Zodiac name is owned by the Fossil group who continue to produce a series of modern reissues of their historic models. My question to the speaker would have been to ask his thoughts on the transition from these diving ‘tools’ to the expensive luxury watches we have today. The ‘X Fathoms’ he referenced at the end, as as used by a team of marine biologists costs £32,000 GBP which is a gross sum of money when it is considered that a dive computer capable of performing decompression calculations automatically can be purchased for less than £500! Nonetheless, a very interesting lecture. Many thanks!
Great comment 👍 I started diving in the eighties the thought of diving with a expensive dive watch for me is out of the question !
Wow this video is a hidden gems
I learned so much watching this presentation. Thank you!
Thank you for this wonderful and informative lecture Jeff. I could listen to these types of presentations for hours. Keep up the great work👍😊
Wow. What an enjoyable and informative presentation. Thank you!!!
Very informative.
Very knowledgeable guy.
Absolutely fascinating, thank you for sharing such in depth and well sought information 😁
27:17 where are the documents to prove this statement?
The case back and gasket is just like a Vostok.
Can you please provide the source that mentions that Vacheron hired a random guy to keep the name of the brand?
Very interesting lecture but it needs to be noted that Rolex produced professional diving tool watches for the Italian Navy (so-called Panerai watches) since 1936. The Italian divers used oxygen rebreathers and didn't require to decompress at the end of their dives so a time recording bezel was not required. The bezel was needed for diving with compressed air which was not really a military application since it creates lots of bubbles which give away the position of a diver in the water. Military divers continued to use rebreathers which do not create bubbles as the exhaled air is recycled through a chemical process.
I think Rolex only supplied the movements for Panerai, but good remarks!
Thanks for some wonderful information. Still I’m not sure about some of the timelines. I was doing a little search to see where Bulova and their prototype UDT MIL-spec diver fits into all of this. What is interesting is Bulova had the contract in 1958 with pretty much the same functions as the 50 fathoms and seems to have had the watch produced if I was designing something new and revolutionary I don’t think I would let my secrets out so did Bulova copy the Blancpain?
. Blancpains contract was in 1959. Please don’t misread this as arrogance I’m only trying to learn and there is not much material out there.
Thanks again hopefully you can add some more information here.
The best
Was it Vostok or Blancpain that came up with that unique seal?
Rolex
🤩
😍😍😍
The original Submariner!
59:59 and it appears we have no documents to back up our own legend… but we like to shame Rolex
Absolutely its a bull story.
Anti Rolex generally and inaccurate. Rolex DID produce the first water resistant watch, maybe not s divers watch but definitely waterproof, hence the Oyster reference. Also the helium escape valve is of no use to anyone but saturation divers and so it’s inclusion in the lecture is irrelevant.
You're correct about the first water resistant watch. But this lecture is about the first "divers watch!"
What I reported is 100% backed up by the Navy reports. The Rolex watches were disqualified from use because they leaked. That’s a fact.
@@jeffkingston6590 thanks for taking time to reply Jeff
@@jeffkingston6590 Great presentation Jeff, appreciate it
@@jeffkingston6590 Jeff thank you so much for this lecture on Blancpain history (it was FABULOUS!) [just now seeing it for the first time in 2022].