Hydronaut Jaques Piccard was an Adventurer and Engineer. He pioneered ultra deep-sea diving using craft he helped design, and to celebrate his achievements, Spinnaker Watches has created the Piccard Automatic.
I have always been fascinated by underwater adventures as much as journeys into Space. There is still so much to learn about our Oceans and Seas, but the good news is we are constantly learning more thanks to exploration and hi-tech mapping.
However, this wouldn’t have been possible without early pioneers, and sadly, many of these have never been given the credit they deserved. Spinnaker Watches is seeking to address this by marking the first dive into the world’s deepest point, the Mariana Trench, in 1960.
In Trieste, a submersible, Jaques Piccard and Lt Don Walsh USN dived for five hours to reach the bottom of the trench at 35,813 feet. This depth is a staggering seven miles below the surface.
The Piccard Automatic encapsulates the spirit of Man and machines of historical and contemporary deep-sea exploration through equipment designed to test the most severe conditions. The watch case is a bubble reminiscent of a Diving timepiece tested onboard the Trieste.
It is solidly crafted out of marine grade 316L, and the super domed sapphire crystal lens captures and pronounces the unmistakable silhouette of the Piccard. As you would expect from a Diver’s watch, it has a deep 550 metres of water resistance.
The Piccard Automatic also has a secure ceramic insert unidirectional turning bezel, minimally designed with a luminous triangle marker, featuring an automatically regulating helium release valve.
The profile of the Piccard Automatic is clean, and Spinnaker has made it solid and easy to read, keeping it clear of any unnecessary features. The baton-shaped applied indexes are rich with Swiss Super LumiNova producing a bright, readable display harmonising with the baton-shaped hour and minute hands and “lollipop” seconds hand gliding across the dial face.
The watch has a Seiko built TMI Japanese automatic NH35 movement built into the case delivering a reliable and enduring timekeeping experience. The stainless steel bracelet is solid and robust, perfect for when you go diving. It hugs the Piccard Automatic to your wrist with a deployment diver buckle for additional security.
Three colours are available for the Dial, Black, Green and Blue, all having the Ultra Domed Scratch Resistant Sapphire Lens with Anti-Reflective Coating. The back of the case has a design of the Trieste engraved on it. It is a large watch at 45mm diameter, but this is what you require when diving as you need large indexes for safety.
The Piccard Automatic – Where and How?
The new Piccard Automatic is available from 28th January and is priced at £430. For more information on Spinnaker watches, visit www.spinnaker-watches.co.uk.
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