The real COMEX watch

[JellyJoe]

If you like the brand and are interested in unusual vintage models, you might wanna have a look at the very first Comex Jacques Cousteau prototype in history. It was actually an Omega. The Seamaster Ploprof and it only lasted a few years due to intrinsic limits in the project. Omega is presenting now a new version of this watch.
Up = vintage Ploprof 600mt - Down = new Ploprof 1200mt

When new Helium Expulsion Valve (HEV) was developed by Rolex, Comex decided to adopt that system and used it for many years. Rolex is still using updated versions of HEV on their SeaDweller models.

The Omega Seamaster Ploprof looks rather unusual, but I really love the vintage version of this watch, specially the peculiar crown locking mechanism.

Here's a link to a very interesting review :
http://www.ploprof.com/Site/Home


Jelly Joe

 

[avenger007]

That is an iconic watch. Those fortunate enough to own one have have a legitimate piece of history.

 

[takashi]

Well, this should be nominated as GUG then:

 

[8A]

I've touched one of these new model PP in a local AD, its really... a heavy metal ingot.
Its really a very cool watch to have!

 

[phillycheez]

the case back on that is so bad ass! and rehaut is deeeep.

but can somebody tell me what the hell does that button do? or is that a light that flashes? considering the crown guard, i am guessing it lets you set the date and time. wild guess.

 

[Positive]

I'm not 100% sure but I think you have to depress that button in order to turn the bezel.

 

[phillycheez]

yeah, i was just reading that for the 600 ploproof... but i am still unsure why does the bezel need to be locked when diving. im not a diver so i guess i wouldnt understand the problem but this is the first diver watch iv seen where the bezel can be locked.

 

[avenger007]

yeah, i was just reading that for the 600 ploproof... but i am still unsure why does the bezel need to be locked when diving. im not a diver so i guess i wouldnt understand the problem but this is the first diver watch iv seen where the bezel can be locked.

I'm not a diver either, but my guess is that if you were using the bezel to time the length of your dive, and the bezel was jarred or moved, you may have an inaccurate assessment of how long you'd been down there and how much air you had left. This is total conjecture on my part. Hopefully a real diver can chime in here.

 

[yt]

Awesome, I have never seen one.

 

[JellyJoe]

I'm not a diver either, but my guess is that if you were using the bezel to time the length of your dive, and the bezel was jarred or moved, you may have an inaccurate assessment of how long you'd been down there and how much air you had left. This is total conjecture on my part. Hopefully a real diver can chime in here.

Good guess.
It is absolutely correct. As the deeper you dive, the less breathing time you will have at disposal, it is imperative to keep an accurate bezel positioning when you dive deeper than 150-200mt, to be 100% aware of the limits within which you will have to start heading back towars the surface. Besides the increasing pressure might actually deform some parts, thus the need to have a safe lock for the rotating bezel.

 

[brtelec]

If you are diving to depths of 150 to 200 meters you would not be surface diving anyway. In saturation diving in which you would actually have a use for a helium purge on your watch, you just plain do not need a watch. First their are no time limits in saturation and second, there is a team of people monitoring your dive. The only thing you may need a watch for in saturation is to know when chow time is.

 

[ThinkBachs]

I love that Omega. Someday I'll find one at a garage sale, I just know it.

 

[jmd33]

If you are diving to depths of 150 to 200 meters you would not be surface diving anyway. In saturation diving in which you would actually have a use for a helium purge on your watch, you just plain do not need a watch. First their are no time limits in saturation and second, there is a team of people monitoring your dive. The only thing you may need a watch for in saturation is to know when chow time is.

Yeah, but you're forgetting the most important part....................they're just so coooool!!!!

 

[JellyJoe]

I wasn't talking about saturation diving mate. That's totally different, I am with ya. It is very much like actually living and working underwater for days or weeks even. It is for professional divers only, basically either a job or military activity. That's when you experience saturation, meaning breathing gas for long time your tissues are saturated with maximum partial pressure, thus ascending time doesn't grow anymore. They normally use underwater chambers, helium+oxygen mixtures and not necessarily go very deep, altho it's a possibility. It is about staying underwater for prolonged periods of time.
Scuba diving is totally different, air tank, usually minor depths (altho there are wicked guys scuba diving deeper than 300mt and using 30ish tanks in 6+ hour time lol), but i personally went deeper than 100mt myself without being it my job, so I wouldn't exclude deep surface immersions. It's something you do in a very short time comparatively, few tens minutes, and if you don't keep track of time to decompress safely to surface, you will soon be either a nitrogen bag in a hyperbaric chamber or fish supper. That's when a watch and a reliable rotating bezel (they were introduced to fullfill that need after all) come in handy to the diver


P.S. Omega Ploprof prototype was put aside when pro helium valves were released. I would recommend a HEV case for pro sat divers. That watch had no HEV, it was designed to be 600mt resistant and experienced pressure issues at about 1200mt only because the crystal underwent enough distorsion to actually block the hands!! Insane.

 

[Meta4]

I would recommend a HEV case for pro divers, as I personally drowned my gen Rol Sub twice lawl. But as a matter of fact you would hardly need HEV at 200-300 mt, many divers watches are guaranteed 300mt res without a HEV.

The HE valve has nothing to do with diving in water and is something a scuba diver can't and will never use.
It's all about spending time in a pressure chamber with a mixed gas (including Helium) atmosphere between saturation dives or decompressing after saturation dives.

It would be interesting to know what number of watches with HE valves have ever been used for that.
I'd guess it's a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of 0.1%.

From the makers perspective, the HE valve is simply to show how serious their dive watch is for a marketing gimick rather than a genuinely useful feature for the buyers .... (Brtelec and other saturation divers excepted).

 

[JellyJoe]

I have no experience of saturation diving, never tried that, I wouldnt mind such experience as I am half fish lolz. I have been practicing scuba diving for about 25 years and never used a HEV, I never needed one so I don't know. I agree with you that besides pro saturation divers who might eventually need a HEV, provided they wanna wear a watch, HEV is simply a "cool thing" to have people admire your watch.
I have been using bezels tho, quite useful. And if you dive deeper than 50-60mt time is always short, so I'd really rather have a bezel and a watch than wasting time or getting into trouble eventually. Better safe than sorry. I would recommend full maintenance and servicing for gens too tho. I had to save my Rollie's life twice for lack of attention
Anyways I really love that Omega, it's cool and sporty, I wish our dealer had a rep of that. Because actually I saw a few reps around and I really wouldnt mind having one.

 

[tommy_boy]

Well, this should be nominated as GUG then:

I have handled one of these in stainless. It is an impressive piece. And yes, that is a bezel lock mechanism. That said, I will never test it out at 1,000 meters. :biglaugh:

 

[brtelec]

An He valve only functions in a Saturation environment and only during decompression or as it is called desat. Prior to the He valve you had to remember to unscrew the crown prior to desat. He molecules are smaller than nitrogen, so they will seep into your watch past the seals or if you unscrew the crown, fill the watch. As you begin to decompress the He molecules of course begin to expand and connot vent. This results in the crystal popping out of the watch.

I can assure you I fully understand the differences in types of diving. I am supervising a saturation system right now.

Meta4 you are correct in your comment that probably less than a fraction of 1% of these watches have ever been used in a saturation environment. Most of the guys do not bother to bring a watch and the ones that do usually wear a Seiko. I wore a Seiko and an Invicta in saturation for years.

 

[JellyJoe]

I can assure you I fully understand the differences in types of diving. I am supervising a saturation system right now.

I wasn't explaining those differences to you, buddy.
I tend to add extra info to keep a thread clear and understandable for everybody, so when you mentioned saturation diving I felt like sharing with everybody what the hell that is lol
Thanks for insight about HEV use, btw. Nice job. Both military and scientifical structures have always been fascinating for me. Specially bio or zoological labs like Aquarius.

I have handled one of these in stainless. It is an impressive piece. And yes, that is a bezel lock mechanism. That said, I will never test it out at 1,000 meters. :biglaugh:

Huh? Why not, tom?

:biglaugh:

P.S. Where the hell did you get that watch? I want a Ploprof so much :skeptical:

 

[takashi]

You can get this directly from Ocean7. They sell very much like Doxa (i.e.: direct).

Anyway, Sinn and IWC have cases to withstand pressure to 200bar without He valve.

Sinn even has oil filled quartz UX series watches with certification to deepest point on planet earth (and it's covered by warranty).