Aqualung Diver

When it comes to vintage dive watches, we love the heavy hitters just as much as the next guy. 

The Rolex Submariner, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, and the Omega Seamaster 300 all have special places in our hearts — and collections. But for every well-known name in the dive watch world, there’s one that makes us stop and say, “Now this is why we got into collecting watches in the first place.”

This Aqua Lung diver is exactly what we mean. In the 1950s and 1960s, myriad brands got into the dive watch game, using contract cases and movements. However, this watch was made for Aqua Lung, the company founded by Jacques Cousteau, the father of SCUBA himself. More specifically, it was retailed by U.S. Divers, the American arm of the firm which was later renamed Aqua Lung America. 

This particular Aqua Lung diver features a 37mm stainless steel case from A. Schild with thick, beveled lugs and brushed finishing, a ghosted dive timing bezel, an unsigned crown, and a gilt and gloss black dial with large, luminous hands and dot indices, all of which are coated in radium. Featuring a handy date wheel at 3 o’clock, it comes paired to an aged Tropic rubber dive strap and is powered by the automatic Schild/Felsa Calibre 4004 movement.

There are few dive watches that encompass so much important history in their stories.

This is one of them!

The year was 1943. World War II raged across Europe. But in the icy waters of the Marne River, all was calm as Lieutenant Jacques Cousteau of the Marine Nationale plunged beneath the surface. On his back was a unique apparatus, two tanks of compressed air attached to a hose which was connected to a mask on Cousteau’s face. This was the Aqualung, and by the next decade it would usher in a new era of diving. The age of SCUBA had begun.

The Aqualung logo would become a familiar sight among amateur and professional diving cirlces, popularized by Cousteau’s company U.S. Divers. Although most commonly seen on SCUBA gear, it could also be seen on watches. Among these, DOXA Sub 300Ts with the distinctive logo are by far the most prevalent, known as “Black Lung” by collectors, but Aqualung also sold watches under its own brand name.

Employing contract “skin diver” cases and robust A. Schild or Felsa movements, these watches are every bit the no-nonsense tool watches as the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms (another watch favored by Cousteau). Also, the association with Cousteau gives them an added appeal. Uncommon and undeniably attractive, they offer the collector a rarely-seen alternative to the Fifty Fathoms and Submariner, with no less of a diving pedigree.

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.