Massena LAB and Vulcain have collaborated to introduce the new Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB.
It is “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.” The Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB is powered by an in-house movement. It preserves “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.”
Massena LAB
Massena LAB is a watch brand that “creates, designs and develops timepieces with renowned watchmakers.” They recommend horological ideas and concepts to watch brands “that are unusual and beyond the offerings from their collection.” Founded by William Massena, a renown horological expert, who has worn several hats in the world of horology. These include avid collector, horological consultant, and auctioneer. He was a watch retailer with boutiques in New York and Miami, before he became the Chief Operating Officer at Antiquorum, an auction house in Geneva, Switzerland.
Original Cricket background and inspiration for the Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB
“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 contemplates “What would the Cricket Nautical look like today if it had been created a decade earlier, in the 1950s?”
The Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB is a convincing answer.
Key Features
Functions
Hours, minutes, and central seconds.
Alarm. The ringing time is 20 seconds +/- 5 seconds.
Decompression scale. This is adjustable via the screw-in crown at 4 o’clock.
“The double dial features a decompression table, an invention of the Hannes Keller team, 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.”
Dial
Chocolate brown dial “which shimmers subtly in the light, inspired by some of Massena LAB’s favourite vintage, tropical dials.”
Baton-shaped hour hand. Arrowhead-shaped minutes hand. Lollipop central seconds hand. Red arrow-shaped alarm hand.
Hands are coated 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 hands are designed by Massena LAB and exclusive to this collaboration.
Dial features white and blue markers.
“Vulcain” and the brand’s logo are displayed at 12 o’clock.
Movement
Powered by Cricket Alarm Calibre V10, a manual winding movement.
Diameter: 27.07 mm or 12 lignes.
Components: 165. Frequency: 18,000 vph or 2.5 Hz. Power reserve: 52 hours.
The movement features two barrels, one for timekeeping and the other for the alarm function. The crown at 3 o’clock winds both barrels. Clockwise for timekeeping and anticlockwise for the alarm system.
The movement features Vulcain’s Exactomatic system.
“The Cricket calibre is also related to another exclusive development by the Manufacture Vulcain, an innovation patented in 1946 as the Exactomatic. The purpose of the Exactomatic principle is to equalise the friction on the balance-wheel axis in all positions by modifying the Incabloc endstones. This provides a more regular amplitude.”
Case and Strap
Case is made from 316L stainless steel.
Diameter: 42 mm. Thickness: 17.35 mm (including the triple case back.)
Dial side features a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Closed “Triple Case Back” is made from stainless steel. It “acts as a resonance chamber, allowing for the alarm function to be used underwater.”
“MASSENA LAB”, individual edition number “No XX/XX”, and other typical text are engraved on the caseback.
Water resistant up to 30 ATM or 300 metres.
It comes with a Massena-LAB-designed black rubber strap showcasing the Vulcain logo. It is attached to a stainless steel pin buckle featuring the Vulcain logo. Lug width is 22 mm.
Our Thoughts
Dive watches are a dime a dozen, yet a handful are really unique and exciting. The Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB is a beautiful interpretation of a vintage dive watch from the 1950’s, yet modern in all horological respects.
For those who love dive watches, whether one dives or not, grab one while you can, as there are only 25 pieces. Massena LAB has performed its magic once again with this collaboration.
Additional Details
Name: Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB
Price: United States Dollar (USD): 4,950
Warranty: 2 years.
Limited edition of 25 pieces.
Available on the Massena LAB website. One watch per household.
Please visit the Massena LAB and Vulcain websites and Instagram pages for more information.
We featured the Albishorn X Massena LAB Maxigraph in early September. Please read here.
[…] recently featured the Vulcain Nautical Legacy Massena LAB, a limited edition of 25 pieces. This watch is based on the Cricket […]