Following the successful launch of the Type 20–a faithful recreation of the 1950s chronograph issued to French pilots–Airain and its sister brand Lebois & Co. returned to their back catalogue to revive yet another lost treasure: the Sous-Marine.
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This time, however, they employed a collaborative design platform (CoLAB) where enthusiasts could participate in the creative process by offering input and voting. The four-step process, which began in March is now in its final stage–the Prototype Reveal. And a second round of pre-ordering is 48 hours from completion, where the watch can be purchased for a preferential price.
Featured here are two of the four “limited edition” iterations, featuring the brand’s original crown logo under the 12 position on the dial, and a third production model in a glossy black with 18K gold-plated hands.
The skin diver comes in a svelte, period-correct, 37.5mm package which swells only slightly to 38.2mm when you include the 120-click unidirectional PVD bezel. It measures 48.2mm lug to lug and is admirably slender for a diver at only 10.45mm thick. It features circular brushing along the top and horizontal brushing along the sides. With squared off box lugs and a subtle arcing profile, it really nails the vintage aesthetic and hugs the wrist nicely.
One of the most interesting elements of the design is the screw-down ‘parmentier’ crown. If you like to fidget with things, then this is the watch for you. Originally designed by Jean René Parmentier, who was a colonel in the French Air Force, the crown acts as a sort of sleeve which slips over the winding stem beneath and tightens down to give the timepiece its 200m of water resistance. When removed, you can flip it around and fit it over the winding stem to charge the movement. Today, it’s a novelty to be sure–but an interesting one.
For practical, and engineering, purposes the brand opted for a beautiful 2.92mm domed sapphire crystal–rather than historically correct acrylic. This is also what aids the watch in its water resistance achievement and keeps the case slim-fitting. No matter how you feel about the decision (voting was very tight), few could argue that the final appearance is anything but seductive.
Beneath this dome is a rather ubiquitous dial design from the 60s, found in a number of popular skin divers from Elgin to Douglas, and Avalon to Glashütte. Its retro font and very French handset are bang on. And you can choose from either a lollipop or a DNA strand seconds hand when ordering. The hour markers alternate between broad baton hashes and funky Arabic numerals. In the outer minute track there are additional box indicators that transform the batons into exclamation marks. A restrained and undecorated date window at three completes the look. All dial elements feature Super-LumiNova–some with Old Light Radium, others with BGW9 or C3, depending upon the reference.
On the screw down case back, a simple engraving of a spearfishing diver hides the AM5 calibre beneath. It is based upon the G100 movement from La Joux Perret and showcases a tungsten rotor, Geneva striping, and blued screws. It is a 4Hz movement, regulated in four positions with a 68-hour power reserve.
The watch comes with an FKM Tropic-style strap and a vintage-styled stainless steel Fixoflex bracelet.
SPECS
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 37.5mm Diameter (Bezel is 38.2mm) 10.45mm Thick 48.2mm Lug to Lug 20mm Lug Width Screw Down ‘Parmentier’ Crown & Solid Screw Down Case Back 120-Click Unidirectional PVD Bezel 200m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Domed Sapphire Crystal (2.92mm) Glossy, Faded, & Tropical Dials Painted Markers & Numerals Pencil and Arrow Handset Date Window @ 3 /w Lollipop (or DNA Strand) Seconds Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | AM5 Automatic Calibre (La Joux Perret G100) Regulated in 4 Positions Tungsten Rotor, Geneva Stripes, & Blued Screws 24 Jewels 28 800bph 68-Hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | FixoFlex Expandable Watch Band or FKM Tropic-Style Strap |
Airain Sous-Marine
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Of Interest
Airain watches, orginally founded in 1934 by the Dodane family of watchmakers, made its claim to fame as one of a very select group–which included Breguet–chosen to produce the Type 20 and Type 21 ‘fly-back’ chronographs for the French Armed Forces. They could typically be found among French helicopter pilots in the Aviation legère de l’armée de terre. Its divers, including the Sous-Marine and the Airain 77, have become rare birds in the world of vintage collecting, with very few models existing in good condition today.
Quibbles
The parmentier crown and the Fixoflex bracelet will not be to every enthusiast’s liking. But as they did with the Type 20, Airain have really leaned into the vintage with the Sous-Marine. One man’s quibble here, will probably be the reason another decides to take the plunge.
Final Thoughts
The Airain Sous-Marine is a case of vintage done right. At a recent discussion in Windup Chicago featuring Blake Buettner, Kat Shoulders, James Stacey, and Jason Heaton, the panel was asked would this era of watchmaking be viewed as “watches that looked like other watches” because of its retro-heavy reissues. But the consensus was that there was a need to preserve and update great designs. This is exactly what Airain have done here. Through an aesthetic lens, the brand have done an excellent job in reissuing all of the visual cues–from dimensions to styling (consider the parmentier crown)–that made this timepiece a flagship for the watchmaker in the 1960s. However, they have also made certain choices–particularly in opting for sapphire glass or a distinctly contemporary movement–that bring the watch up to contemporary standards.
Involving the enthusiast community, while not wholly unheard of before, was also an interesting process that will have built bridges and bonds one could not find in traditional watch sales from long-established brands.
What you get from the Airain Sous-Marine is a solid timpiece with great specs, steeped in a little-known corner of horological history–one you can feel comfortable in wearing for daily use, that provides you with the retro aesthetic you want and the modern convenience you need.
During pre-order, the Airain Sous-Marine retails for $1756USD($2352CAD). For more information, please visit the brand website.
About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.
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There is a jarring issue to my eye. The numbers all are formed in the perimeter of the ‘square’ along all edges. However, the number ‘6’ does not. The upper/top of the number passes through that square perimeter and is longer than it should be, it simply jumps out as an anomaly on the dial,…it appears ‘oversized ‘ …too far past the bottom of the number.
Wow! You have a good eye. These watches are still in the prototype stage. In the words of the brand:
“The font shape of the six on the dial does not yet align with our intentions, so we are currently discussing this with our supplier.”
Great catch.
Not that good an eye…neither does the 10! Regards
I like the font size!!!