Vulcain Skindiver Chronograph Dive's Watch
Starting from 2.700 €The Vulcain Skindiver Chronograph revives a dive chronograph developed in Le Locle in the 1960s that remained unreleased for decades. Rediscovered in the manufacture's archives, this vintage-spirited tool watch returns in a 39.7 mm steel case with semi-integrated lugs, water resistant to 200 metres and powered by a mechanical automatic-winding chronograph. Its bidirectional rotating bezel with black ceramic insert, domed sapphire crystal and caseback engraved with a diver assert a firmly maritime character, while the dial carries over two scales inherited from the original, tachymetric and decimal. Offered in two dial versions, matte black or matte silver, it is aimed at fans of neo-retro divers and Swiss mechanical chronographs.
Vulcain Skindiver Chronograph dive watch
Founded in 1858 and based in Le Locle, cradle of Swiss watchmaking, the Vulcain manufacture owes its renown to the Cricket, a mechanical alarm watch made famous on the wrists of several American presidents. The house, which claims over one hundred and fifty years of history and mechanical know-how, now occupies a manor house at the heart of the Neuchâtel mountains. But its catalogue also holds a resolutely maritime chapter: in the 1960s, Vulcain developed the Skindiver Nautique, a compact diver that left its mark on the watchmaking landscape of the time, and which the brand relaunched in 2023.
Few collectors knew that a chronograph version of this tool watch had been studied at the same time, without ever reaching the public. Kept confidential for decades, it was rediscovered in the manufacture's archives thanks to research led by Guillaume Laidet, who has overseen the development of Vulcain's collections since 2022. The Skindiver Chronograph is the direct result of this rediscovery: a reissue faithful to the spirit of the original, brought up to today's standards.
The result keeps the silhouette of the golden-age dive chronographs, with its semi-integrated lugs, fluted rotating bezel, highly legible dial and caseback engraved with a diver in action. The dial carries over two scales inherited from the archive model, a tachymeter and a rare decimal scale dividing the minute into one hundred parts, useful for sporting or underwater timing calculations. More than a commemorative piece, this watch is aimed at fans of vintage divers and accessible Swiss mechanical chronographs.
Technical specifications Vulcain Skindiver Chronograph
- Brand: Vulcain
- Model: Skindiver Chronograph
- Reference: Depending on version
- Indicative price: From €2,700
- Movement: Automatic
- Calibre: Base ETA 7753 (C088)
- Diameter: 39.7 mm
- Thickness: 13 mm
- Water resistance: 200 m
- Materials: 316L stainless steel
- Bezel: Bidirectional rotating with black ceramic insert
- Crystal: Domed sapphire
- Dial: Matte black or matte silver
- Strap: Steel bead of rice or flat-link bracelet, rubber, leather
- Warranty: 2 years
The Vulcain Skindiver Chronograph dive watch
The Skindiver Chronograph extends the relaunch of the Skindiver Nautique by finally bringing to life a project that had stayed in the drawers of the Le Locle manufacture. Its 316L stainless steel case, vertically brushed, keeps the semi-integrated lugs of the 1960s but grows to 39.7 mm in diameter to house a contemporary mechanical chronograph. The 13 mm thickness stays well controlled for this type of construction, and the 20 mm lug width opens up a wide choice of straps, while the 47 mm lug-to-lug measurement limits overhang on the wrist.
The domed sapphire crystal recalls the acrylic crystals of the period while providing the resistance expected today, with the slight distortion effect at the edges that gives well-executed reissues their charm. The rotating bezel, made of aluminium on the archive model, now adopts a more scratch-resistant black ceramic insert, engraved with a double sixty-minute and twelve-hour scale. It is bidirectional, and its fluted flank makes it easier to grip with gloves. The dial remains above all a reading instrument, with its Super-LumiNova-coated hour markers, broad hands and clearly separated counters. Around the periphery, the tachymetric and decimal scales recall the model's timing vocation. The polished caseback, engraved with a diver in action, completes the anchoring of this watch in a firmly maritime world.
Automatic chronograph and two dial versions
Beneath the engraved caseback beats a base ETA 7753 (C088) movement, a mechanical automatic-winding chronograph. Beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, it has a 42-hour power reserve and provides analogue display of hours, minutes and seconds along with chronograph functions, in a two-counter configuration with no date window, preserving the dial's symmetry. The 200-metre water resistance, combined with a screw-down crown and screw-down caseback, places the piece among the robust marine sports watches. The brand does not specify whether the pump pushers can be operated underwater, which suggests reserving the timing function for the surface and viewing the watch as a vintage-spirited diver rather than a professional instrument.
Two standard versions make up the collection. The first features a matte black dial, aged brown Super-LumiNova and orange accents on the counters: it is the most faithful to the model found in the archives. The second adopts a matte silver dial with dark panda-style counters, white Super-LumiNova and a touch of red on the thirty-minute counter, for a more contemporary look. The choice of strap completes the personalisation, between steel “rice grain”, steel flat-link bracelet, integrated rubber and leather. Prices range from €2,700 to €2,980 depending on the configuration chosen.
Vulcain Skindiver Chronograph dive watch: neo-vintage reissue
The Vulcain Skindiver Chronograph pairs a brushed 316L stainless steel case measuring 39.7 mm across and 13 mm thick with a bidirectional rotating bezel with black ceramic insert and a domed sapphire crystal. Water resistant to 200 metres, it is powered by an automatic chronograph on a base ETA 7753 (C088), beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a 42-hour power reserve. Its dial, matte black or matte silver, features Super-LumiNova hour markers along with tachymetric and decimal scales. A steel bead of rice bracelet, steel flat-link bracelet, integrated rubber or leather strap, a solid 316L buckle and a two-year warranty round out the package.
Movement
The Skindiver Chronograph is powered by an automatic chronograph built on a base ETA 7753 (C088). This mechanical automatic-winding movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz, a frequency that favours rate stability and allows fine reading of split seconds. The 42-hour power reserve covers a night off the wrist without needing to reset the time. Functions are limited to analogue display of hours, minutes and seconds, complemented by the chronograph, in a two-counter configuration without a date.
Diameter and materials
The case measures 39.7 mm in diameter by 13 mm thick, restrained proportions for a mechanical chronograph. It is cut from vertically brushed 316L stainless steel, with a polished caseback engraved with a diver in action. The bidirectional rotating bezel with black ceramic insert reprises the fluted design of 1960s models, while the domed sapphire crystal protects a matte black or matte silver dial fitted with Super-LumiNova hour markers. The two versions differ in the shade of luminescent material and the coloured accents on their counters.
Water resistance
With 200 metres of water resistance, the Skindiver Chronograph comfortably handles swimming, recreational diving and water sports. This performance relies on a screw-down crown and a screw-down caseback in 316L steel. The Super-LumiNova hour markers ensure legibility in darkness or murky water, and the rotating bezel, graduated over sixty minutes and twelve hours, allows elapsed time to be tracked. Its bidirectional operation, however, demands more attention than a unidirectional bezel while diving, and use of the pushers underwater is not specified.
Accessories
The strap is chosen at order, between a steel “bead of rice” bracelet, a steel flat-link bracelet, an integrated rubber strap and a leather strap, four options covering both aquatic and everyday use. All close with a solid 316L steel buckle, the steel bracelet also featuring an extension clasp appreciated over a wetsuit. The 20 mm lug width makes swapping straps easy and leaves the door open to aftermarket options. The exact contents of the box are not detailed by the brand.
Warranty
Vulcain covers the Skindiver Chronograph with a two-year warranty, a mention displayed at both the top and bottom of the manufacture's website. This duration is in line with Swiss watchmaking standards for a mechanical chronograph of this level, whose longevity depends on regular servicing. The base ETA 7753 (C088) movement, like the 316L stainless steel case and its 200-metre water resistance, thus benefit from coverage that reassures on the durability of a piece designed for regular marine and sporting use.
Vulcain Skindiver Chronograph The pros
and cons
- Swiss automatic chronograph, base ETA 7753
- 200 metres of water resistance
- Rare decimal scale on the dial
- Vintage-spirited domed sapphire crystal
- Four strap choices available
- Bidirectional bezel with no click mechanism
- Underwater pusher use undocumented
- 13 mm thickness is noticeable
- Only two dial colours available
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Prices and technical specifications are subject to change. Content and photos are not contractual.
