Posted by Earlier I showed some of my Single Crown Super Compressor case watches. The more famous model of the Super Compressor cases is the two crowns case.
One crown for setting the time and date (if there is a date) and one for operating the internal rotating bezel. Norm is that the crown at two is for the bezel and the crown at four is for the time.
In the later part of the 1950’s and all the way into the 1970’s, there were several brands who used the same or similar case made by E. Piquerez S.A., EPSA Super Compressor cases.
The EPSA Super Compressor case patent, filed in 1954, approved in 1956. You can read about it here: Lemania Single Crown-Super Compressor Case
I am not sure when or which watch was the first to used these cases, but hope to be able to report about it here one day…
As said, I am not sure who was first or last for that matter to use the EPSA case, but one thing I am sure of is that there were many!
If we only look at the classic round 36 mm T.W.O crown Super Compressor case – Baylor, Benrus, Bulova, BWC, Camy, Droz, Duval, Frey, Enicar, Hamilton, IWC, Lanco, Milus, Pleamar, Precimax, Reins, Sandoz, Timor and Wittnauer, just to mention a few… If you make a search you will find even more brands!
There were even electronic two crown Super Compressor cased watches, like Lip as shown in the ad below.
All of them have the same or very similar case. Like this Benrus reference 6089 Ultra-Deep from 1968.
As a common point for all of these two crown Super Compress cased watches – diving watches, big luminous hands and index, central seconds, automatic movement (with a few exceptions like the Lip), big cross-hatched compressor crowns,… And the Super Compressor case!
With or without date – most of these I have seen are with date. With or without a cyclops over the date window – here this Ultra-Deep have the cyclops to make it easier to read the date, if you look from the right angle…
These 36 mm stainless steel cases often have a thin flat bezel, straight sides, short strong lugs, screw-down or bayonet case backs,… And are water proof rated down to 200 meters / 666 Ft!
Inside the Ultra-Deep is the Calibre ETA 2472. Beating at a speed of 18000 vph / 2.5 Hz, with a power reserve of 42 hours.
Now, in this side view we see the cross-hatched crowns, but we also see the problem – why I didn’t really pursue this theme…
The thickness of these watches. They are quite thick for their diameter, which gives a bit of an odd fit on the wrist.
The ratio between diameter and thickness – it is thicker than the single crown case 35 mm case, similar to the 42 mm case – but while the 42 mm case fits my wrist perfectly, the 36 mm case do not…
I really wished it would – then there would be another theme for me to pursue…
Even if I didn’t gone very deep into the two crowns Super Compressor cases, I will continue to share some more Super Compressor cases here – stay tuned!
The Blomman Watch Report 