Dive watch Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise
Starting from 940 €The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise is a neo‑vintage dive watch directly inspired by the historic “Monnin” case from 1979, whose DNA it faithfully updates. Its 316L steel case is now more compact, with a 40.8 mm diameter, 46 mm lug‑to‑lug length and a thickness reduced to under 12 mm, improving comfort and everyday versatility. A 250 m water resistance rating, a 120‑click unidirectional dive bezel and a diver‑style dial with luminous hands and markers confirm its status as a true tool watch. Powered by a Swiss automatic Sellita SW200 movement with hacking seconds and a 38‑hour power reserve, offered on a FKM rubber Dive Bund® strap and compatible with a modern steel mesh bracelet, the Marseillaise is aimed at dive‑watch enthusiasts who appreciate a strong, functional aesthetic.
Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise dive watch
Le Forban Sécurité Mer is one of the few brands to have developed several watches based on the so‑called “Monnin” case, including a series made for the French Navy, which firmly anchors the Marseillaise in the lineage of French professional and military dive watches. Born in the late 1970s, this case kept the name of French watchmaker Georges Monnin, who produced it for a major Swiss house, before being revived today in an updated version. The Marseillaise re‑interprets this architecture in a more contemporary way: thickness is reduced from 13 mm to under 12 mm, the diameter from 42 mm to 40.8 mm, while the lug‑to‑lug length remains 46 mm to preserve overall balance.
This evolution retains the robust character of the original diver while offering much greater comfort, both on bare wrist and over a wetsuit. Water resistance is now rated at 250 m and relies on a screw‑down crown, screw‑down caseback and a construction designed for water sports and recreational diving down to 150 m. The 120‑click unidirectional bezel with aluminium insert, the diver‑style dial with painted SuperLuminova markers, the arrow‑shaped hands and lollipop seconds hand together form a design language that divers will recognise at a glance. The FKM rubber Dive Bund® strap, with its removable central pad, revisits the famous military bund strap and adapts it to aquatic use, while a modern steel mesh bracelet and a rubber NATO strap round out the available accessories, allowing multiple configurations around this same historic case.
Technical specifications – Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise
- Brand: Le Forban Sécurité Mer
- Model: Marseillaise
- Indicative price: From €940 (incl. VAT, FR)
- Movement: Swiss mechanical self‑winding
- Calibre: Sellita SW200 with hacking seconds, 38‑hour power reserve
- Diameter: 40.8 mm
- Thickness: 11.75 mm (without crystal)
- Water resistance: 250 m
- Materials: brushed 316L steel case
- Crystal: flat sapphire
- Dial: sunray, Onyx Black, or Abyss blue gradient, Super-LumiNova
- Strap: rubber / steel mesh depending on the model
- Warranty: 2 years from the shipping date
- Package contents: watch, documentation, warranty card
The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise dive watch
The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise marks the comeback of the “Monnin” case in a version adapted to modern‑day wear, more compact and more versatile. The brushed 316L steel case with polished sides measures 40.8 mm in diameter and 46 mm from lug to lug, giving it a strong yet controlled wrist presence, including on average‑sized wrists. The thickness, reduced to 11.95 mm including the crystal, creates a sleeker profile than in the past while preserving the solid, tool‑watch feel expected from a diver. The 120‑click unidirectional dive bezel, with its aluminium insert and luminous marker at 12 o’clock, follows traditional dive‑watch codes and allows straightforward control of dive times.
The diver‑style dial stands out with its sunburst finish and painted SuperLuminova hour markers designed for instant legibility in low light. Polished steel arrow hands and a lollipop seconds hand further enhance this intuitive reading, especially underwater where legibility is paramount. The screw‑down crown and stamped screw‑down caseback, decorated with a detailed marine‑inspired motif, ensure the 250 m water resistance rating while underlining the watch’s nautical universe. The ergonomics of the case have been carefully worked so that the Marseillaise hugs the wrist, making it very comfortable in daily wear, in keeping with the philosophy of the brand’s other creations.
A neo‑vintage diver ready for the sea
Inside the Marseillaise beats the Swiss Sellita SW200 movement, a genuinely reliable, well‑proven engine. This mechanical self‑winding calibre offers hours, minutes, seconds and date functions, plus a hacking seconds feature that allows precise setting to the second. Its 38‑hour power reserve supports regular daily wear, with the movement winding itself through wrist motion. The choice of this calibre favours reliability and robustness over complexity, perfectly in line with the utilitarian dive‑watch ethos.
With a 250 m water‑resistance rating, the Marseillaise is ready for all water‑based activities and is suitable for recreational diving down to 150 m. On the Dive Bund® FKM rubber strap, the watch has a very distinctive identity, inspired by military bund straps yet re‑engineered for aquatic use thanks to its removable central pad, which also allows it to be worn like a conventional rubber strap. The back of the strap features a “wave” pattern and a personalised 316L steel buckle, brushed with polished sides. A modern 20/16 mm steel mesh bracelet fitted with a double‑pusher folding clasp, along with a rubber NATO strap, complete the range of compatible accessories, enabling the Marseillaise to transition easily from the quayside to everyday urban wear.
Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise dive watch: Monnin heritage and marine DNA
The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise is a dive watch that modernises the historic “Monnin” case while preserving its robust, functional character. Its 316L steel case, 40.8 mm in diameter, 46 mm lug to lug and under 12 mm thick, strikes a successful balance between wrist presence and comfort, far better suited to contemporary use than the original dimensions. A 250 m water‑resistance rating, the 120‑click unidirectional bezel with aluminium insert, the diver‑style dial with SuperLuminova hands and markers, and the screw‑down crown all confirm its status as a genuine dive tool for water sports and diving to 150 m. Powered by a Swiss automatic Sellita SW200 movement with hacking seconds and a 38‑hour power reserve, delivered on an FKM rubber Dive Bund® strap and compatible with a modern steel mesh bracelet and rubber NATO, the Marseillaise celebrates maritime tradition and the heritage of underwater exploration.
Movement
The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise is powered by the Sellita SW200 calibre, a Swiss mechanical self‑winding movement chosen for its reliability, robustness and accuracy. It offers hours, minutes, seconds and date functions, together with a hacking seconds feature for precise time‑setting. Its 38‑hour power reserve allows the watch to sit unused for a full day while still running, provided it is worn regularly. This proven workhorse calibre brings serious horological substance to the Marseillaise without straying from the brand’s tool‑watch spirit.
Diameter and materials
The case of the Marseillaise is crafted from brushed 316L steel, with polished sides that catch the light subtly. Its dimensions – 40.8 mm in diameter, 46 mm lug to lug, 11.95 mm thick including the crystal and 20 mm between the lugs – reflect the effort made to slim down the case compared with the original 1979 version, while preserving its distinctive silhouette. The stamped screw‑down caseback, produced using a striking process in steel, features a detailed marine motif and contributes to the overall robustness of the watch.
Water resistance
Designed as a true dive watch, the Marseillaise offers 250 m of water resistance, an improvement over the 200 m rating of its predecessor. This performance relies on a screw‑down caseback, screw‑down crown and gaskets engineered to withstand the stresses of aquatic use. The 120‑click unidirectional dive bezel with aluminium insert and a luminous pip at 12 o’clock helps to track dive times safely, while the flat sapphire crystal provides strong protection against scratches and everyday knocks.
Accessories
The Marseillaise comes on a Dive Bund® FKM rubber strap that re‑imagines the military bund strap for full compatibility with diving. Its removable central pad allows the wearer to switch from a bold bund configuration to a more classic look using the same strap. The underside features a “wave” pattern and the signed buckle is made of brushed 316L steel with polished sides. The watch is also compatible with a modern steel mesh bracelet fitted with a double‑pusher folding clasp, and with a rubber NATO strap, both offered as accessories.
Warranty
Le Forban Sécurité Mer watches, including the Marseillaise, are covered by a 2‑year warranty from the date of shipment. This warranty applies to manufacturing defects affecting the movement, hands, case and dial, in accordance with the brand’s terms and conditions. It does not cover damage resulting from negligence.
Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise The pros
and cons
- Modern tribute to the historic Monnin case
- Compact dimensions, comfortable for everyday wear
- A true dive watch with 250 m water resistance
- Modular Dive Bund® FKM strap developed for this model
- Swiss automatic movement
- Aluminum bezel insert, more prone to marks than harder materials
- 38-hour power reserve, which may feel limited
- Dive-watch styling, less suited to dressier environments
- Steel bracelet and rubber NATO strap offered separately as accessories
Prices and technical specifications are subject to change. Content and photos are not contractual.
