The Omega Marine – The World’s First Dive Watch
Omega Marine ref. CK 679 circa 1935 / Credit: Black Bough Watches
Dive watches today are among the most recognizable types of watches. And yet, their story at large is often obscured, diluted by that of the Rolex Submariner.
Before the popularization of diving, in the late 19th century, ‘hard hat’ divers were the norm, and the predecessors to dive watches were regular pocket watches, taken by divers inside their helmets to keep dry. Water proof cases were rare, often manufactured as one-off, custom jobs.
Waterproofing watches was not a novel concept though, as there were multiple iterations of the dive watches throughout the years. In 1881, Ezra Fitch filed for a patent for a screwdown crown, which became an essential component for keeping watches waterproof to this day. In 1883, a waterproof pocket watch was developed by Alcide Droz & Fil’s, their ‘Impermeable’. This was followed by another notable 19th century development, the screwdown case patented by Francois Borgel in 1891.
Bringing together both Fitch and Borgel’s designs, Rolex patented the Oyster case on May 17th, 1926. Then, on October 7th, 1927, 26-year-old Mercedes Gleitze became the first woman to swim across the English Channel, wearing the new Rolex ‘Oyster’ around her neck. This certified the abilities of the Rolex Oyster case, which became the world’s first waterproof wristwatch.
A Rolex ‘Oyster’ advertisement following Mercedes Gleitze’s English Channel crossing circa 1927 / Credit: Daily Mail
So, while Rolex invented and patented the Oyster in 1926, the case wasn’t tested specifically for deep diving. This is where the Omega Marine comes to play, released in 1932 and created and tested for the depths of the ocean. The design was based on a Swiss patent granted to Louis Alix from Geneva.
To make the watch waterproof without infringing on Rolex’s patent, he decided to place the entire watch inside an additional outer casing. This double case was then sealed with cork to keep water away from the internal components of the watch.
The Omega Marine circa 1936 / Credit: Timeline Watch
The crown would be placed on the top section of the timepiece, similar to a pocket watch, this would then be positioned within the safety of the outer casing. The genius of the two-part casing was that, as it descended deeper underwater, the water pressure increased, and the watch became more waterproof!
In 1936, it was successfully tested at the bottom of Lake Geneva at a depth of 73 metres. Additional laboratory tests were carried out five years later and the Swiss Laboratory for Horology found the watch to be completely waterproof to a depth of 135 metres!
These were the first verified tests to establish the depth capabilities of a wristwatch and to officially qualify its suitability for the atmospheric pressure of diving. The Omega Marine was proven to be a dependable partner underwater and this made it worthy to be on the wrists of many of the early pioneers of underwater diving. While it may not be as famous as the Rolex Oyster case, it was the first true dive watch.
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The Omega Marine released in 1932 / Credit: WatchuSeek