Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena Lab

The Cricket Nautical was the fruit of research conducted by 3 experts who pooled their knowledge and experience and, together with Manufacture Vulcain, developed the very first diver's watch that would not only feature a system for determining no-stop dive times built right into the dial, but also sound a real alarm to signal the diver “time to get back to the surface!” – in a sleek package water-resistant to a depth of 300 meters. The trio of passionate divers: Hannes Keller, a talented Swiss physicist/ mathematician, occasional pianist, and deep-sea diving pioneer; Max-Yves Brandily, explorer and filmmaker; and Arthur Droz, a national certified diving instructor and representative of the C.I.A.S (Centre d'Investigations et d'Activités Sous-Marines – Center for Underwater Investigations and Activities).

Introducing The Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB, a 1950s-inspired diver’s watch with a rich, brown dial; redesigned, vintage-inspired hands; and a brand new, Massena-LAB-designed black rubber bracelet. Powered by an in-house movement, the Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB retains all of the rugged, technical know-how of the original Vulcain Cricket Nautical, one of the very-first diver’s watches with an alarm that could be heard underwater. 

The original Cricket Nautical was released in 1961, the result of research conducted by three passionate divers: Hannes Keller, a Swiss deep-sea diving pioneer as well as a physicist and mathematician, Max-Yves Brandily, the explorer and filmmaker, and Arthur Droz, a national certified diving instructor. In 1966, Hannes Keller wore a Cricket Nautical in a record-setting dive reaching an extreme depth of almost 250 meters. The legendary Jacques Cousteau, acting as Keller’s witness, recorded and validated Keller’s record.

The Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB ponders “What would the Cricket Nautical look like today if it had been created a decade earlier, in the 1950s?” To start, the dial has been recolored a rich, chocolate brown, which shimmers subtly in the light, inspired by some of Massena LAB’s favorite vintage, tropical dials. The hands, which have been completely redesigned and are unique to this Massena LAB collaboration include a baton-style hand for hours, large arrowhead for the minutes, and a red arrow alarm hand. The hands are filled with beige lume, with matching lume plots on the dial, and glow green in low light or dark water for maximum legibility and echo the watch’s vintage inspiration by mimicking the period-correct tritium.

The black rubber strap, designed by Massena LAB and fitted with a Vulcain logo stainless steel buckle, is comfortable and practical in and out of the water whether you are wearing a wetsuit or sitting at your desk.

The double dial features a decompression table, which is revealed through an aperture on the dial. To set it correctly, the wearer must first determine the length and depth of the intended dive, using the crown at 4 o’clock to rotate the dial’s upper plate. When used correctly, the scale which is revealed by the aperture, shows the diver for how many minutes they must stop at nine, six, and three meters before returning to the surface.

The stainless steel case, measuring 42mm, features a closed “triple case back” which acts as a resonance chamber and allows for the alarm to be loud enough to be heard underwater, alerting the diver that they should start their ascent.

The watch is powered by the manual-wound Cricket Alarm Calibre V10, with a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz) and a power reserve of 52 hours. The in-house caliber has two barrels: one is the energy source for timekeeping, while the other powers the alarm function. Both barrels are charged by turning the crown at three o’clock: clockwise for timekeeping and counterclockwise for the alarm system.

The Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB is a limited edition of only 25 pieces.