For Sale RALF TECH WRV3003 Chronograph FR Navy Seal Blancpain Fifty Fathom

New Unworn RALF TECH WRV 3002 “Tachymètre” Ø43.9mm “inverted panda” limited edition, Nº50 of 100

Mechanical chronograph with automatic winding, full set.

$3750 shipped CONUS 48.

• Power reserve: 50 hours
• Dial Matt black 95%
• Indices: Superluminova C5
• Crown: Screwed down with screw down pushers
• Crystal: Sapphire, curved, anti-reflective coating, 3.5 mm thick
• Bezel: Fixed tachymeter scale
• Case Back: Screwed-on, with serial number engraving
• Water-resistance: 200 M / 660 FT (Dive watch Norm ISO 6425)
• Strap: Charcoal nubuck with hand-sewn diamond pattern
• 2nd strap: Silicone black
• Lug: 26 mm, Buckle: Pin, 26mm
• Watch Case: Polycarbonate Explorer Case
• Manufactured: Made in France

The WR series are ultra-reliable watch, reliability being the essence of a diving watch, hence the use of proven movements such as ETA and SEIKO, and can also be easily repaired.

The RTAC002 movement is a 34 jewels SEIKO 8R48, 28,800A/h, automatic bidirectional winding caliber. 8R48 is a state-of-the-art chronograph movement. It has a remarkable and highly impressive chronograph counter for up to 12 hours, and a power reserve good for up to 45 hours.

This movement does not just provide great levels of accuracy and precision but is also durable. The top-notch details and engineering in this movement solve all the harshest and major problems usually encountered with watch timing.

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The WRX & WRV are the legitimate descendants (but not a copy or an homage) of the very first modern dive watch, the Blancpain Fifty Fathom.

Ralf Tech (watch company) was established in 2003 by Frank Huyghe, a pro diver. Around 2008 he started the “WR” series of pro diving watches in close collaboration with Commando Hubert in Saint-Mandrier, France's elite military unit known as the “nageur de combat”, akin to American Navy SEALs.

That was an interesting choice, as the first modern diving watch was created there in 1953 by Captain Bob Maloubier DSO OBE (see picture attached of Captain Maloubier receiving his Ralf Tech from Frank Huygue), a French secret agent who worked for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in World War II and became the founding member of Commando Hubert and its first C.O.

Maloubier is credited for being the inventor of the rotating unidirectional bezel as he listed the specifications of the world's first modern diving watches. He found a willing partner in a small Swiss watch company: Blancpain, whose boss was also an avid diver.

“Finally there was a small watch company, Blancpain, which agreed to develop our project which imagined a watch with a black dial, large numerals and clear indications using triangles, circles and squares, as well as an exterior rotating bezel mirroring the markers of the dial. We wanted at the beginning of a dive to position the bezel opposite the minute hand so as to be able to read the elapsed time. We wanted in effect that each of the markers be as clear as a guiding star for a shepherd.”

The result was the iconic Fifty Fathom (also sold to the US Navy Seals under the name “Tornek-Rayville”) Tornek being the name of the US importer and Rayville the name of Blancpain’s hometown at the time.

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Captain Maloubier receiving his Ralf Tech:

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Nice picture of Capitain Maloubier receiving the OBE from Queen Elizabeth.

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It's a good question. The Daytona WR rating is 10 ATM. This one is 20 ATM but I guess neither will ever go that deep. The three hands Ralf Tech are real divers. They introduced a new one, "the Beast" with a rating of 3,000 meters (300 ATM) but is has been tested in real life (outside a French Navy bathyscaphe) at >4,000m. The Beast is powered by a french Mouvement manufacture (PEQUIGNET) RTM001, with a 77 hours réserve de marche.

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Ralf Tech Enters France's most desirable watch top 20 for the first time. Image Unavailable, Please Login