Omitted History

Courtesy of DOXA

With DOXA's recent launch of the SUB 300T Clive Cussler, I was once again reminded of the short memory of the watch buying public (no offense), and the reality that well placed (i.e. funded) press campaigns can go a long way to paint vivid and compelling stories that while not not false, often leave out some key details. 

Courtesy of Bernard Watches

While it is wonderful that the Jenny family is putting some money and effort into the DOXA SUB collection, I continue to be fascinated by the painting out of Rick Marei's efforts to relaunch and promote the DOXA SUB. Well, gentle reader, as I was there for a lot of this let me try to set the record straight, or at least shed some light on a topic that lived in the shade far too long.

It was Rick Marei who went to the Jenny family and secured the rights to design, produce, and sell the DOXA SUB through what would become the reimagined Synchron group. While it is convenient to paint out his contributions, it is an inconvenient truth that without Rick Marei, the SUB would have remained dead and burried.

I also find it fascinating to see this new partnership with the Cussler estate. As the person responsible for promoting and marketing the SUB from 2007 - 2010, it would have been greatly helpful not to have to try and do it for $0 marketing funds ; )

But we were lucky, because Clive Cussler was always amenable to help us (Synchron). He was a subtle, but genuine ambassador for the SUB. Beyond the invaluable publicity received by DOXA via Clive Cussler's novels, it was Rick Marei (and those of us who worked with him at Synchron) who endeavored to form and maintain a friendly (but definitely grass-roots and under funded) partnership with Clive Cussler. There was a Clive Cussler edition of the 750 SUB back in the earlier part of this century. This had no noticeable branding beyond a not-so-prominent bit of extra engraving on the case back, and if memory serves it was a basic flourish added to an existing production piece to help goose along some sales. I do not know whether or not Mr. Cussler received anything beyond a watch (i.e. royalties). 

There was, of course, a Dirk Pitt model based on the 600T. There was the NUMA -

Courtesy of Worn and Wound

Which came in a few flavors. Blue (above) and a turquoise dialed version (below) -

Courtesy of Worn and Wound

And I vividly remember a rather undignified bullocking I received at BaselWorld 2009 from Rick Marei over his refusal to use turquoise for any other DOXA SUB as turquoise was spoken for (although he refused to say for whom it was reserved). If nothing else, while not demonstrating any real managerial brio, it did underscore his commitment to all things Clive Cussler. 

I continue to find it fascinating how nearly 20 years of history can magically vanish. It is true that the "winners" write the history, and that's fair enough. But at the same time, I believe in giving credit where it is due, even if it reveals a sin of omission.

A re-run - Jean-Michel Cousteau is "all wet"

This originally ran on May 6th of last year, but it is a pretty good interview and I thought I might put it out there again. 

© Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society

James Henderson - What was your first watch, was it a gift?

Is there a story behind it?


Jean-Michel Cousteau – I don’t remember exactly. But I can tell you that when I was a kid, watches were different. They were valuable, expensive – special! You received one at a certain age, and you held onto it forever. It was only later that I realized the importance of a good diving watch. One that would not only tell you the time, but keep the water out.

But things have definitely changed. I think for both watches and the concept of time. I feel that young people today do not appreciate the value of a single watch – just as we do not value our time on this planet to the fullest.

© Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society

JH – What do you mean by that?



JMC – We are spoiled today. We are wasteful. Today we are in such a hurry to buy things, to consume things that we don’t need (and probably don’t really even want)! This doesn’t mean that the standard of living has improved – because in a lot of ways it really hasn’t! Consider for a moment how much we waste – you live here in Santa Barbara, as I do. You know the homeless people who go through our trash, our recycling, and take the bottles and cans to the recycling center to get money? I think those guys are great! As odd as it sounds, they are helping to keep the city clean.



JH - Where did you go to school, what did you study?


JMC – I studied architecture in Paris. And now many years later I am still waiting for my first “commission” 55 years later! But I am a licensed architect. After that, I worked in a shipyard in Brittany because what my real goal was something different than merely building houses and offices. You see, from the time I was a kid, my brother and I were always in the water. We were “wet” at a very early age! 

© Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society

JH – Well, given your famous father’s profession, had you ever considered doing something else?



JMC – I think not really – BUT – I will say that what I do today is a true evolution. I studied architecture with the idea of combining it with life in the ocean – that the future was (and will be) closely linked to the sea. This, in turn, led me to working at the shipyard in Brittany, because I wanted to better understand the nature of structures for the water. But I must say that my father in many ways was my greatest teacher. He was invaluable in helping me work in and produce film and television. Just as in architecture, each project has a beginning, a middle, and an end.



JH - Ocean Futures continues to grow and evolve - obviously a great deal of this is tied in with you and your family's efforts. What does the future hold?



JMC – I am fortunate that my children are involved, but more than this I feel that we have created a strong foundation for others to continue our work. As the population of the earth continues to grow, it is more and more apparent that our quality of life is strongly connected to the health of our planet. And the health of the planet is inseparable from the health of the oceans.



JH - What are some of the biggest challenges you currently face?


JMC – Funding. It is ironic, because people hear, or read the name Cousteau, and feel that we must be rich and that money is no problem. In many ways, the name Cousteau works against us. So I have to be out there, giving lectures, promoting the work of the organization. The single biggest way for us to promote our work is through images – be they video or photographs. To this end, we work tirelessly to compile as many images as possible.


Another challenge for us is education – but this is a challenge that we embrace! We need to get the kids “WET”. We need to introduce them underwater life – whether it’s the ocean, a river or a lake. We need to challenge the young people’s sense of curiosity and adventure.




JH – Okay, as this is a watch blog – favorite all-time dive watch?


JMC – When I started diving there were only a few companies that made true diving watches. Today, there are many choices and we are lucky that several companies have supported us over the years. I did design a watch made literally of recycled materials. It was manufactured for a short time but is no longer available.





JH - Being based in Santa Barbara, I imagine that you enjoy fairly consistent conditions for diving? If you can recall, what is one of your most challening/difficult dives?


JMC – There has been one dive in 67 years that really stands out for me. I was diving in a cave, and I suddenly realized that I would run out of air before I could surface. But – I did not panic. I motioned to my dive “buddy” and we were able to “buddy breath”. This was in Papua New Guinea in 1982 or 1983.





JH - If you weren't doing this, what do you think you might be doing?


JMC – This is the truth – either an astronaut or a farmer! That would really be great if I could have “three lives”. The sea, the land, and space!




JH - What is a typical "day in the life" of Jean Michel Cousteau?


JMC – There truly are no “typical” days and this is what keeps things interesting! For all of us here at Ocean Futures, there are constant surprises and challenges to adapt to.





JH - What do you like to do in your spare time?


JMC – What is “spare time”? (laughs).


© Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society

JH - Who is the next "Cousteau" out there?



JMC – There are many out there! And luckily – they don’t have to be Cousteaus!



Get Wet with Ocean Futures -



http://www.oceanfutures.org/







15 Days with the Aquadive Bathyscaphe 100

And as I say goodbye to my "Tovarich", a new friend has swum up.

15 days with the Aquadive Bathyscaphe 100 begins now.

Niceties - The Aquadive Bathyscaphe 300

It's the little things that make a watch purchase special.  Sometimes, it's no packaging, or certainly poor packaging that can sour you to a watch without even considering the watch itself.  Sometimes the packaging is 100 times better than the watch itself.  And then sometimes - as in the case of Aquadive, the packaging strikes just the right chord -

The box is nice, flip open, holds the warranty card, the watch of course, and a few surprises -

Any guesses?  Another hint -

If you haven't guessed - it's replacement spring bars!  Made in Switzerland, of course!

And to make sure that you have a personal connection to your Bathyscaphe 300, and you are fully aware of its condition before it left on its trip to your door, here is a calling card -

You can see the "bona-fides".    And mine is still holding true - I do not have the benefit of a watchmaker's timer, but if my calculations are correct, we are holding true at + 3 seconds.  COSC is all well and good, and I am not saying that this replaces it - but consider this - it gives you the same info - a rate, and it doesn't add several hundred dollars to the price!

Only a few days left in the 15 - stay tuned!

Proud uncle

Back in my DOXA days, I had the opportunity to work on some fun and interesting projects.  Perhaps the high mark for me was the Project AWARE.  It was my first real opportunity to work with a partner and create something new -

That was back in 2008.

Later, in 2009 I was walking through the Tourneau store in Boston, and while looking at the selections one of the sales people grabbed my wrist and said - "That's the Project AWARE!"  And then grabbed one of the copies of Watch Time, and pointed out the article - a belated thank you to Norma!

And now time has moved on, I have moved on - but I heard the news that there was now a successor to the original Project AWARE -

Courtesy of DOXA

And like a proud uncle, I smile at my new "nephew", and wish him a long and healthy life!  Best of luck to DOXA and Project AWARE!

DOXA SUB 4000T Sapphire

Courtesy of DOXA

In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the reintroduction of the DOXA SUB,
DOXA is releasing something very special - the 4000T - but with a Sapphire
bezel!

Here are the specs from DOXA -

Diameter 47.00mm including crown protection
Diameter excluding the crown protection is 44.00mm
Lug width 22.00mm
Lug to lug 48.00mm
Height 16.00mm
Bezel diameter 40.80mm
Crown diameter 6.50mm
Diameter 47.00mm including crown protection
Movement: ETA 2897 Top grade

Courtesy of DOXA

This is a very limited edition - so you've been warned!


www.doxawatches.com

DOXA DECO

This is the DOXA DECO.  I had the good fortune to meet the designer of this watch at BaselWorld 2008.  In the "re-edition" era of DOXA (i.e. 2001 - NOW) this was the most successful non-diving watch that DOXA ever released for sale via DOXA Direct.  Beautiful stainless steel, black dial with roman markers - this is a fantastic watch.  They are no longer available, but I have mine!

DOXA SAFE DIVE

DOXA has something new in the works.  More to come, and follow the story at:

www.doxawatches.com

DOXA SUB 1200T...NUMA

Rick and the folks at DOXA have been working feverishly with some of their counterparts over at NUMA. For those of you not dialed-in to all things DOXA, NUMA is the National Underwater and Marine Agency - founded by none other than Clive Cussler - the creator of the Dirk Pitt adventure series.

Having spent three years handling public relations for DOXA Watches I cannot tell you the number of times someone would grab me and and say - "You have to make a NUMA SUB", or "You have to make a turquoise SUB!" Well, in fact DOXA will now have both! Keep in mind, this is a working mock-up and the final version might be a bit different, but so far it looks pretty good!

Check out the Official DOXA Forum for more info. on this limited edition:  http://forums.watchuseek.com/f34/

A bit of credit where credit is due

 If you're reading this, then you are a watch fan of some sort.  Maybe not a high end collector, maybe not even a collector at all.  Maybe it is just that one watch that speaks to you.  You are not so interested in watches in and of themselves, but one watch has caught your imagination and will not let you sleep at night.  I know you.  While working for DOXA Watches I met you several times - on a nearly daily basis.  You were obsessed with Dirk Pitt's watch.  You had seen the watch on the guy from Diners, Drive ins and Dives.  You visited watch stores, googled like there was no tomorrow.  And finally in the wee hours of the morning you stumbled across www.doxawatches.com - and suddenly your problems seemed somehow smaller.  Food tasted better, and you felt more handsome - be honest - you did!

These days we take checking out and buying watches on the internet for granted.  Tissot, Rado and even Longines can now be purchased from the comfort of your living room - in your pajamas!
So the next time you are shopping for a new watch online, say a quick thank you to Rick Marei, and the Jenny family.  More than anyone else, they brought the idea of buying a Swiss watch direct from the factory.  To say the least, it was a risk,  and I think you would have to agree that they not only saw the future, they helped to shape it.

A very happy 10th anniversary to DOXA ONLINE!

www.doxawatches.com

       

Ode to the high beat movement

Andy Bard and I met working for DOXA watches.  Andy is the very friendly guy you get when you call to order a watch or arrange for service.  Andy has collected all sorts of different types of watches, and now he has focused his collection on the high beat movement.  Now in his own words, Andy talks about his favorite movements.

There’s just something hypnotic about a high frequency movement. The sweep hand seems to float around the dial, and lying in bed with my wrist under the pillow I drift to sleep form the sound of 36,000 beats per hour.

It's a real shame that today’s watch companies don’t embrace the high beat movement. Yes, it is not as robust as a more sensible 28,800 movement, but just the thought of that balance wheel whirring around at that speed is mesmerizing. Today, Zenith is the only company that uses a 36,000 BPH movement on a large scale.  In the late 1960’s into the early 1970’s just about every watch company had a high frequency model in their lineup. Longines, Zodiac, Seiko, DOXA, and Girard Perregaux, just to name a few. Pictured is my early 1970’s DOXA Ultraspeed, and someday soon I hope to add a Zenith New Vintage 1969 El Primero to my meager collection.

What watch would Jacques Cousteau wear?

What watch would Jacques Cousteau have worn?





There are a lot of dive watches out there that probably spring to mind. But in this particular instance I can say with all certainty that not only would JYC have worn this watch - in fact he did!




I remember the excitement in the DOXA office when my boss Rick Marei told us the news. Bruno Cappello kindly let us have his watch for DOXA's private collection. Bruno was a member of the Calypso's crew back in the 80s and worked with JLC and Mr. Falco. And now with Rick's help, I can share the story behind it. The story to follow is Mr. Cappello's with minor edits from me.








My time with the Cousteau team and life on the Calypso

My friend Michel told me that he was going to try out as a Cousteau team diver.
I told him if you can do it, so can I. Dan Phan and I were later welcomed as the newest divers on the team.

My first mission for the Cousteau team was aboard the Calypso and we went to film the USS Monitor. I recall meeting Harold Edgerton – or "Papa Flash" as Jacques Cousteau called him.

Albert Falco, Jacques Cousteau and I were going over some pre-dive items, just the three of us.

Falco asked if I had a reliable dive watch. I was a caught a bit off-guard, not sure what to say. Then Mr. Falco uttered a phrase I have always remembered:

“A decent man must have a decent watch.”

And then it happened - Jacques Cousteau handed me his very own DOXA Sharkhunter – he gave his watch to ME! And from that moment on I truly felt as though I were a part of the Cousteau team!

It turned out to be a night dive by the time we got there. We all grouped at the surface and held on to each others tanks. It was like a human grape vine going down to the Monitor. I saw the biggest shark that I've ever seen that day.
I was relieved to know that I was not the only one who saw the shark, Marc and Raymond saw it as well. Maybe the Sharkhunter was an omen. This proved to be a very memorable dive as we continued to investigate the USS Monitor, and the rest, as they say – is history!

My duties aboard The Calypso were varied and numerous. Perhaps my favorite chore was loading the film into the cameras as the film cabin was the only place on The Calypso that was air-conditioned! In addition to this I filled the divers’ tanks before the dives. During the dives I held the lights for the cameramen - usually either Bernard or Raymond. I helped Bob as often as possible with the helicopter maintenance. I was usually in the water to help place "Denise" (the SP350) into and out of the water, as well as to follow it around during its dive as best I could using the transponder. I never got to dive with the SP350. This was one of my greatest regrets while working for the Cousteau team.

I seemed to find myself more often than not on watch duty. This was when I really got to know the Commandant, Monsieur Cousteau. For some reason I was on watch with him more than I was with any of the other confirmed navigators! I was always afraid to disturb his sleep, but I often did need to go and get him. I know it sounds dumb now, but this was Jacques Cousteau after all, and I was anxious to prove myself!

Of course he usually took his time and arrived a few moments later than I did when we were on watch, and as a result these were some of the longest "short" moments of my life! I never really knew if JYC simply trusted me alone with the ship as Navigator, or if I simply was not knocking loud enough to wake him! Looking back, I suspect that this was his way of saying, "Look stupid, if you're going to wake me up, then just do it and make more noise next time!" The time we spent together while on watch were filled with what you might expect - Atlantis, mixed gas diving physiology, satellite navigation and perhaps what fascinated me the most of all, the Tibetan book of the dead and the life of the spirit. I was always eager to share thoughts on this, and it was fascinating to hear his idea of the meaning of life.

Jacques Cousteau was, in my opinion, a perfectionist. He was also very demanding to work for, but never asked for, or expected anything more than he was ready to give himself. The gift of his personal watch truly underscored this spirit of commitment and camaraderie to me, and likewise in other ways to everyone else he and the Calypso touched.

Despite the demands, (or maybe because of them) working for him was always a pleasure. One day in Canada we were passing some whales and everyone was on the deck looking for vents. We drew closer to the whales and he said, "Watch... the mother will show her calf how to jump out of the water soon." I thought to myself, ‘You may know a lot about the water but that kind of prediction is impossible!’ Sure enough, about two minutes later, out of the water came the big whale followed by the small whale. I never again questioned what he said.

As told by Bruno Capello

Karl Shreeve's Aquadive

This is the first of what I hope will be a recurring section of the Tempus Fugit blog - a sort of "guest blog".

A bit about the contributor - Karl Shreeves has travelled around the world, participated in some of the world's most challenging dives, gets paid to do what he loves as an underwater photographer, is rated a "Legend of Diving" and contributed to Peter Millar's Diving With Legends book.

I met Karl back in 2007, before I started working for DOXA Watches. It seems fitting that he is the first contributor here. He is generous to a fault, thoughtful, intelligent and in all honesty looks a lot better than me. Despite all of this I am proud to call him a friend! In all seriousness, I am very pleased that Karl is sharing his story here.



Thank Goodness for Mothers

A few years ago, my mother surprised me with the pocket watch on the left. Manufactured in 1900 (about), it is a gold plated Centra Lanco, inscribed on the interior with Metal Plaque Lamine Garanti 10 Ans, Centra Lanco 1399. She’d had it restored and it runs (well, sort of – I don’t push my luck.)
The watch on the right is a dive watch I’d bought in1975 or 1976 and used until it flooded on a dive in the Bahamas, in the mid 1980s. At that point, I tossed it in a drawer and forgot about it -- until 2008, when I was online and landed on a picture of a Jenny that looked identical to it. I had to check with the one person I know who knows way too much about watches – James – and sure enough, he confirmed what I suspected: Jenny released watches in the US under the name “Aquadive.” Could have some collector value – if I could find it and get it restored.

As far as I knew, it was long gone. But, an email to my mother with the picture proved otherwise. Moms don’t throw away anything that relates to their kids, and a few days later it showed up. With James help, technicians at Jenny restored it – astoundingly, they still had parts after 30+ years (I guess watch technicians don’t throw anything away either).
In truth, both watches only exist because of my mother, and they have a scuba-related connection for me. The Aquadive is obviously a watch I used to use diving (I wear it but I don’t dive with it today.) The Centra Lanco? Today, the Dutch ABC islands are among the Caribbean’s top travel and scuba destinations; I had the pleasure of visiting Curacao in connection with an article I wrote for Skin Diver magazine. When my great grandfather carried the watch, he owned a plantation and landhouse called Savonet, on Curacao. The island’s tallest mountain, Mt. Christoffel, was on the property. After he passed away in the 1960s, the plantation eventually became the center of today’s Christoffel national park – a popular stopover for visiting divers and nondivers.


An editor's note - as some of you know, DOXA is owned by the Jenny family. Karl sent his watch to me and I took it with me to BaselWorld in 2008. Mr. Jenny senior and his son, Romeo Jenny both recognized it immediately, and were pleased to help Karl with his watch.

For those of you divers out there, I urge you to check out Peter Millar's book.