Auricoste
spirotechnique 200 combat swimmer 11th choc - seal team DGSE

Auricoste Spirotechnique 300 diving watch — a French combat diver military watch from 1982, officially issued to combat divers and mine clearance divers of the French Navy. This very rare piece features a 41.5 mm case with an unusual crown placement at five o’clock (a position designed to protect it from impacts during underwater missions). This unconventional placement also prevents divers from winding the watch while on the wrist, which could weaken the crown and its waterproof seal.

The robust movement is the renowned ETA 2428 second-generation calibre, with 25 jewels. This movement is the most widely used among military dive watches (also found in models like the CWC and Bianchi B-300). It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). It features Incabloc Novodiac shock protection, an Etachron regulator, and a Glucydur balance wheel with anti-magnetic properties. Selected for its reliability and easy servicing, the ETA 2428-2 movement provides a 38-hour power reserve.

This watch replaced the iconic Tudor Submariner Snowflake Marine Nationale in official issue equipment. The military diving watch shown here bears markings on the caseback. This Auricoste Spirotechnique model was used by combat divers from the CINC unit in Aspretto — the famous diver training base near Ajaccio in Corsica, dismantled in 1993 after the Rainbow Warrior affair (Greenpeace ship bombing in 1985). The unit was then relocated to Kellern in Brittany, which became the new combat diver instruction center, supporting DGSE missions and specializing in infiltration operations (in cooperation with the 13th RDP regiment).