Vintage Diving (Watch) Photographs: Marine Nationale

Like any watch collector, I'm interested in watches.  But it's not only the technical achievements, stylistic elements, and impressive engineering that leads me to a watch... It's the history.  It's knowing where the watch was and what it was used for.  Of course, I'm getting a little bit abstract here as the most watches can't really do much without a wrist to ride around on but I think we'd agree that diving watches in particular carry some very interesting history given their extreme importance to the safety of the diver of yesteryear.

I'd like to make a series of somewhat regular posts with interesting photos I find which show classic divers watches in use in a somewhat thematic format.  First up, the divers of the French Navy or Marine Nationale as they'd call it in their cheese eating accent.

I've borrowed this awesome shot of a MN Tudor Snowflake from one of my favorite watch sites, scubawatch.org. Check them out.  

The use of Tudor Submariners and Rolex Submariners by the MN is well documented and it is not my intention to replicate many articles which detail that history far better than I could (I have finals next week for God's sake) but I have found some cool pictures which I do not believe have been compiled before.  I'll start with photos pretty clearly featuring the Tudor Subs.

It's almost impossible to understand the amount of vintage diving/nautical coolness in this photo.  

The above and the next few photos look like they're from some kind of training manual for how to dress the diver.  It's interesting to note all the watches are worn on the wrist below the drysuit and not over the sleeve and also that the watches are on their bracelets.  

  

Shown here is the classic blue dial/bezel Tudor sub with a simple black nylon pull through strap, perhaps THE MN look.  

These last two photos are just the coolest.  

 Also worthy of note is the use of damn near the entire G-Shock lineup by the Marine Nationale.  These were also official issue and were engraved as such on the caseback.  These show up from time to time for sale and are usually completely beat to hell, as they should be.

Mmmmm.... Rebreathers....

That's all for now guys.  Thanks for looking.