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Lot Essay
One of the most incredible things in the world of vintage sport watch collecting is somehow finding a legendary watch in truly “New Old Stock” condition, such as the present Blancpain Aqua-Lung. There is absolutely not a single scratch between the lugs showing the placement or removal of a spring bar.
Today, the term “New Old Stock” is frequently used in a careless manner, but it is absolutely appropriate to use when describing this watch. Its survival in this condition can only be described as miraculous.
The beautiful glossy dial features the traditional 12-3-6-9 Aqua-Lung layout from the 1950s. It shows the honest patina from a watch that has sat untouched for decades with radium on the dial and in the hands.
Vintage Blancpain dive watches are continuing to gain value and a following due to their incredible history as among the first and best dive watches as well as their strong history connection to elite members of the French and U.S. military. It is hard to imagine a more perfect example of an Aqua-Lung on the planet.
Current research shows that this model of Aqua-Lung first appears in a US Divers catalog from 1958. It was made exclusively for the American market and notably had a guaranteed depth rating of 300 meters or 1000 feet, which was deeper than comparable Fifty Fathoms models from that time. The American actor Lloyd Bridges famously wore this model on the cover of the February 1962 issue of "Skin Diver" magazine. Bridges had gained notoriety in the diving community for playing the main actor, a former U.S. Navy frogman, in the television show "Sea Hunt" that aired from 1958 to 1961.
Today, the term “New Old Stock” is frequently used in a careless manner, but it is absolutely appropriate to use when describing this watch. Its survival in this condition can only be described as miraculous.
The beautiful glossy dial features the traditional 12-3-6-9 Aqua-Lung layout from the 1950s. It shows the honest patina from a watch that has sat untouched for decades with radium on the dial and in the hands.
Vintage Blancpain dive watches are continuing to gain value and a following due to their incredible history as among the first and best dive watches as well as their strong history connection to elite members of the French and U.S. military. It is hard to imagine a more perfect example of an Aqua-Lung on the planet.
Current research shows that this model of Aqua-Lung first appears in a US Divers catalog from 1958. It was made exclusively for the American market and notably had a guaranteed depth rating of 300 meters or 1000 feet, which was deeper than comparable Fifty Fathoms models from that time. The American actor Lloyd Bridges famously wore this model on the cover of the February 1962 issue of "Skin Diver" magazine. Bridges had gained notoriety in the diving community for playing the main actor, a former U.S. Navy frogman, in the television show "Sea Hunt" that aired from 1958 to 1961.