Omega

Ploprof test watch: I am Legend

 

The ever-increasing depths at which divers were working led to the creation of the famous “PloProf” Seamaster 600, which was launched to the public in 1970 after four years of intensive research and testing (the case was already patented in 1967). This watch proved to be more than equal to the new challenges faced by professional divers; is was the Omega counterpart to the Rolex Sea Dweller - Ploprof stands for “Plongeur Professionnel” - but the one piece case does not need a gas escape valve as helium cannot penetrate it. I have already made a review of the Ploprof here:

omega.watchprosite.com

I have also detailed the relationship between Omega and Comex, especially in the development and testing of the Ploprof:

omega.watchprosite.com -0/



COMEX used Seamaster 600 prototypes extensively during test dives in the late 1960s and in September 1970 the watch accompanied the three divers of Janus II and set a world record for underwater exploration at a depth of 253 meters in the Ajaccio Gulf in France.

Finally, I have presented a watch that used to belong to a famous Argentinian diver and oceanographer, who used it for many years in his crazy career around the world:

omega.watchprosite.com es/



Other professional divers have used the ploprof in these early days, for example here's a picture showing Albert Falco - a famous member of the Calypso crew who has worked many years with Jacques Yves Cousteau - wearing a ploprof over his wetsuit:

Later, Cousteau’s divers would use the watches off the coast of Marseille during a set of experiments to test the effects on divers working at depths up to 500 meters.

During the development and testing of the Ploprof, a few watches were also given to “independent” professional divers. These test-watches are even believed to be the very first ones produced; at least, that’s what I understand from the serial numbers of the few examples that I know.

At the end of last year, I have been lucky enough to buy such a test watch from his second owner. The man is a retired diver, who used to work for an underwater rescue company in the South of France. He is now quite famous among the diving community for finding some wreck ships in the Rhone and in the Med. Here he is in his boat in the 1980’s, with the Ploprof on his wrist:

He got the watch as a gift from a famous Swiss diver in the late 1970’s and has worn it on a daily basis since that day.

His friend was a professional diver who was an expert in diving in the Swiss lakes. He received the watch directly from Omega in the late 1960’s / early 1970’s, in order to test it in extreme conditions. He had to report on a regular basis how the watch behaved, at what depth and for how long he dived, what the water temperature was, etc…

Here’s a very interesting picture of the watch during such a dive in the mid 1970’s. You see that the watch it is secured on a home–made piece of wood, together with the depth gauge and a thermometer: the diver wanted to read all the vital information easily in one sight.

The watch itself has the mk1 dial of the early examples; the “bubbles” and the dark blue color are typical of the ageing process of these dials (the dial is originally navy blue).

The bezel has the usual knocks and scratches from these old diver’s watches: probably from hitting rocks or being bitten by sharks…who knows !

The watch has a 4-XXX issue number engraved on the back, that is similar to the numbers you can see on the back of the Comex Prototypes. The serial number of the movement is very low, in fact it is the lowest number I have ever seen on a Ploprof. This confirms that this is probably one of the very first examples produced.

The watch was serviced some years ago by Jacques Bianchi, the famous watchmaker in Marseille who used to service all the Comex watches. This document - as well as the pictures and the letter telling the story of the piece – make an amazing set for a Ploprof addict like me!

This message has been edited by Dr No on 2015-03-27 14:46:52

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