5 watches from brands closely related to the sea

Watch brands and the watches they create all have some kind of roots or reflect a certain philosophy. This time, we will introduce five watches or brands with a "sea" theme.

Introducing 5 watches from brands with maritime roots

　Each watch brand and each model has its own unique roots. It's fine to choose a watch based on its design and specifications. However, learning about its background will help you understand why that model was created, allowing you to discover new charms, find commonalities with it and feel closer to it, or reaffirm its special character.

　So, to help you enjoy the models sold by each company more deeply, or to broaden your interests, let's take a look at brands and models that are closely related to the sea.

Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms, the father of the modern diver's watch

　The connection between the sea and watches is most easily imagined in terms of diver's watches. The ancestor of the modern diver's watch, which set the direction for diver's watches today, is the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, released in 1953.

　The "fathom" in the name is a unit of length derived from the width of outstretched arms, and has been used primarily as a unit of water depth. This unit is equivalent to the "hiro" in Japan, and is often used in fishing and fishing tackle, where water depth is important. It is interesting that, despite differences in region and language, fathom and fathom were invented as simple units of measurement by outstretched arms on the beach or on a boat, and that both have become units related to water depth.

　The Fifty Fathoms was developed by Jean-Jacques Pfister, CEO of Blancpain at the time, and its specifications were finalized with the participation of French Navy divers Captain Robert Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud. The influence of the Fifty Fathoms on subsequent diver's watches can be summarized as follows:

- Rotating bezel for measuring dive time and its malfunction prevention mechanism
-Black dial
-Extra large luminous display and luminous hour, minute and second hands
- Soft iron inner case for anti-magnetic purposes

　Jean-Jacques Pfister was also a diver, and once nearly lost his depth while diving in France when he lost track of his dive time. So he decided to equip the Fifty Fathoms with a rotating bezel that would allow the dive time to be displayed at a glance. The starting point of the rotating bezel can be set to any position, and the elapsed time is measured by the numbers on the bezel. The revolutionary feature of the Fifty Fathoms was the inclusion of a malfunction prevention mechanism to prevent the rotating bezel from rotating unintentionally.

　Suppose the bezel unintentionally moves clockwise while measuring remaining dive time. This would cause the bezel to move in a direction that would incorrectly read the remaining dive time as longer, which could lead to a dangerous shortage of air in the tank. The purpose of the malfunction prevention mechanism is to prevent such accidents, and it is perhaps a unique insight from someone who actually divers.

　Although anti-magnetic inner cases were increasingly phased out due to technological innovations such as silicon balance springs, the design that combined a rotating bezel with a black dial and luminous indexes and hands became the standard for diver's watches thereafter, and its influence was enormous.

Panerai's Luminor 47mm, a watch whose technology has been refined through the supply of equipment to the Italian Navy

　Panerai's origins date back to a Swiss watch retailer that opened in Florence, Italy, around 1850. As its business expanded, Panerai began repairing watches and assembling watches for which parts were delivered. Through this business, Panerai received a request from the Italian Navy, which commissioned the manufacture of underwater compasses and depth gauges, essential for commandos at the time. The company's history of developing and manufacturing these instruments led to the development and refinement of its technology. By the end of the 1930s, the relationship between the Italian Navy and Panerai had deepened, and with the onset of World War II, the exchange of information became even more intense.

　The military equipment produced during this period was even more diverse, including sights, lights, computers for torpedo firing, and signal lights. Signal lights in particular were so widely used on land, sea, and underwater that Panerai may have been seen more as a military equipment manufacturer than a watch company by the Italian Navy at the time.

　Among them, a wristwatch with extremely high water resistance, which was produced in response to a request at the time, is the origin of the current "Radiomir" and "Luminor." However, the waterproof watches produced at that time were treated as military secrets and were not widely known, so they did not become the standard for waterproof watches.

　The situation changed when the military contract with the Italian military ended in 93. Since then, Panerai has begun selling a variety of models, gaining global recognition. The company's friendship with the Italian Navy continues, and in 2019, 33 purchasers of the Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech™ Limited Edition were invited to participate in training with the Italian Navy's special forces. The training was apparently extremely tough and uncompromising.