Vulcain Celebrates the Golden Age of Diving with the Nautical Seventies Dive Watch

A blast from the past emerged from the deep at Baselworld 2013, as a Nautical Seventies Dive Watch was debuted by Vulcain. Inspired by an archived 1970s Vulcain Nautical model, the timepiece breaks the surface with some exciting enhancements. Along with a water resistance of up to 300 meters, the watch uniquely integrates an indicator for decompression stops and an underwater audible alarm, adding safety to style.

Drawing from the aesthetics of the 1970s model, the Vulcain diver extends its lineage even further back to a 1961 Cricket Nautical diver. This original timepiece was the first wristwatch with the capability of descending to 300 meters, possessing an alarm to alert the wearer when to resurface, and displaying the various decompression stops – a succession of innovation echoed in the Nautical Seventies.

Powered by a 25-jewel manually-wound alarm movement with 157 total parts, the watch comes equipped with twin barrels—one for the time and another for the alarm. Operating at 2.5Hz, it sustains a 42-hour power reserve. With hours, minutes, central seconds, a diving alarm, a fixed dial with decompression-table indication and a 60-minute graduated rotating inner bezel ring activated by a screw-locked crown, the watch offers more than a nostalgic dive into the past.

Available in two dial variations, blue or orange, the Nautical Seventies Diver is fitted with a black water-repellent leather strap, coupled with either an orange or blue lining, and is limited to 300 pieces each with a retail price of $5,950 – a valuable treasure unearthed from the rich seabed of nautical history.