Introducing the Divex Comex..

[senraw]

Ok, it's not....

But I shall introduce to you the Divex "Subsea 7" Offshore 500.



These particular Divex watches are commissioned for the offshore services company Subsea 7 and only sold onboard their dive support vessels.

Please note the red ‘7’ on the seven hour marker and the Vessels name ‘Seven Falcon’ on the dial.




The Seven Falcon (IMO: 9455167) is a Offshore Supply Ship that was built in 2011 and is sailing under the flag of United Kingdom.

It is one of the most advanced diving vessels in the world, featuring a 24-man twin bell saturation diving system operationally rated to 300m and a heave compensated 250t Crane.

A little bit of interesting history about the company straight from Wikipedia:

Subsea 7 is a Luxembourgish-domiciled subsea engineering, construction and services company serving the offshore energy industry.

The company is registered in Luxembourg with its headquarters in London.

The company was formed by the January 2011 combination of its two predecessor companies, Acergy S.A. and Subsea 7, Inc.


Acergy was founded in 1970 as Stolt Nielsen Seaway, a division of the Norwegian Stolt-Nielsen Group offering divers for the exploration of the North Sea.

After a series of acquisitions, including Comex Services of France in 1992 and Houston, Texas-based Ceanic Corporation in 1998, the company changed its name to Stolt Offshore in 2000.

Five years later Stolt-Nielsen spun out the company as an independent business listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. The firm renamed as Acergy in March 2006.

So potentially some connections to Comex.. Pretty cool! :)

I have only managed to find 2 other examples of these watches.

The other two i stumbled across were both on the net. One belonging to the Seven Falcons Second officer and another belonging to the owner of Scurfa watches.

Both these other versions are the 200m divers. (Another from Seven Falcon and one from Seven Kestral.)

Kestral:



Falcon: (Excuse the poor quality image.)



Falcon:



Will these dirt cheap Divex models become sort after future collectibles?

I suppose, only time will tell..

If anyone else has one, I'd be very interested to see it and please upload some images on the thread if you do! :)

[Bigstam]

My father in law dived for Comex, Acergy and Subsea 7.

He has a drawer full of watches and I am sure I have seen a few Divex watches in there. Unfortunately he passed on the Comex Rolex, “why would I want one with Comex on it”! 🙈🙈

Cheers

Ross

[markbannister]

I did a lot of work with Subsea7 and Divex. I was based in the Divex office for a while when they were doing a sat diving system for the new build DSV Skandi Singapore, owned by DOF Subsea who I worked for at the time. Great days, lots of travel to Divex in Capetown and ST Marine in Singapore who built the vessel.

[NickGaters]

Used to work for Subsea 7 back in the day. As per usual with my luck I moved on before those watches were available. As far as i remember there was no actual shop onboard their DSVs or pipe lay vessels, so I assume I’d have had to ask and the dive super would have a stash for sale.

Completely OT: before working for subsea 7 in Yarmouth as a kid I remember walking past the local Rolex AD and lusting very badly for the two tone blue sub. I imagine it would have been late 80s. That was the start of my obsession. Dive industry has a lot to answer for (30 years later I managed to buy its modern equivalent).

Edit: cox and Sons appears to still be there in Yarmouth! They must have been gutted when Oceantech - > dsnd oceantech -> subsea 7 moved out of Yarmouth. Captive market gone in a snap.

[Dr.f]

My Divex 7 Atlantic

[ALindsay]

I recall when I worked for Technip and one of the vessels was sold off the accumulated onboard welfare fund was use to buy everyone a Divex watch. There was a choice of depth ratings, 50m or 200m I think.



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[Elwood]

Very cool!

I got a couple during work with Technip:

[jwg663]

There's a Seven Eagle on eBay at the mo' -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154803778...YAAOSwL2hh6W5b

Not cheap, though!

[Ascalon]

That would be a nice kind of thing to have if you had some sort of connection to the company or one of its endeavours.

Otherwise, it's a bit like borrowing someone else's hammer.

[catflem]

That would be a nice kind of thing to have if you had some sort of connection to the company or one of its endeavours.

Otherwise, it's a bit like borrowing someone else's hammer.

Collectors have no qualms at all when it comes to borrowing hammers.

[Dr.f]

That would be a nice kind of thing to have if you had some sort of connection to the company or one of its endeavours.

Otherwise, it's a bit like borrowing someone else's hammer.

Interesting point,I haven’t owned a watch with that personal connection but I still get some enjoyment owning watches with interesting history.

[subseastu]

I used to work for subsea7 and never got a watch and I wouldn't pay £500 for one. When working for dolphin drilling we got "gifted" a dolphin drilling timex iron-man which at the time was a 15quid watch. Fred Olson owns dolphin drilling and timex. Apparently if its a company branded watch as a gift they get tax relief.

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[blackal]

I used to work for subsea7 and never got a watch and I wouldn't pay £500 for one. When working for dolphin drilling we got "gifted" a dolphin drilling timex iron-man which at the time was a 15quid watch. Fred Olson owns dolphin drilling and timex. Apparently if its a company branded watch as a gift they get tax relief.

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I got a couple of the Ironman watches - gave them away (although they were good working watches)

Prosafe watch - never even went on my wrist.

[subseastu]

I got a couple of the Ironman watches - gave them away (although they were good working watches)

Prosafe watch - never even went on my wrist.

Yeah good for a work watch. I just left prosafe after four and a bit years in Brazil, never got a pigging watch with them either. Saying that they're going downhill rapidly as an employer.

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[Ascalon]

Collectors have no qualms at all when it comes to borrowing hammers.

Interesting point,I haven’t owned a watch with that personal connection but I still get some enjoyment owning watches with interesting history.

I get what you are saying, and TBH, I love tool watches, but these are so specific, without being outstanding pieces themselves, that they are of limited appeal.

This is a bit like buying a watch branded for a cruise ship or the likes.

Again, unless you have a thing for the company, or a direct connection, its a quartz diver with a decent depth rating. I'm not denigrating at all, just questioning their likely appeal in the future.

[Dr.f]

I get what you are saying, and TBH, I love tool watches, but these are so specific, without being outstanding pieces themselves, that they are of limited appeal.

This is a bit like buying a watch branded for a cruise ship or the likes.

Again, unless you have a thing for the company, or a direct connection, its a quartz diver with a decent depth rating. I'm not denigrating at all, just questioning their likely appeal in the future.

I’m not concerned with future appeal,only my enjoyment now.It’s only a £100 or so Divex after all.

[Slevin Kelevra]

I get what you are saying, and TBH, I love tool watches, but these are so specific, without being outstanding pieces themselves, that they are of limited appeal.

This is a bit like buying a watch branded for a cruise ship or the likes.

Again, unless you have a thing for the company, or a direct connection, its a quartz diver with a decent depth rating. I'm not denigrating at all, just questioning their likely appeal in the future.

I disagree that it is like buying a watch branded for a Cruise ship. That is a strange analogy if you ask me.

The Divex is a bargain basement tool watch sold by leaders in what is considered a dangerous profession. Hardly the same as buying a watch with Royal Caribean or Celebrity Cruises on the dial IMO.

[blackal]

I get what you are saying, and TBH, I love tool watches, but these are so specific, without being outstanding pieces themselves, that they are of limited appeal.

I'm kind of in this camp too.

I would love a COMEX, but all the others - I might throw on as I was going out of the house to rejoin a rig or vessel (Or leave offshore to wear when there).

Most of the vessel-related ones I have seen are 'gizzits' - handed out as a recognition for (say) long hours worked on some breakdown etc.

Don't get me wrong - The base watch is a good, robust work watch - but it is better without any vessel name on it.

Skandi Arctic is a DSV, North Sea Giant is a Subsea Construction Vessel - not diving.