Triton
Triton
Mr. Jean René Parmentier (1921-1998), a former colonel of the French Air Force and watchmaking enthusiast, designed the Triton in 1962 for Spirotechnique, a firm founded in 1946 by the famous Commander Jacques Cousteau. Mr. Parmentier registered the patent for the emblematic crown protection to secure it and to help prevent deadly diving accidents.
Manufactured in France, with a self-winding Swiss caliber ETA, the Triton casing had a 37mm diameter and a 39mm bezel. With the unique style of its bezel numerals – oversized first digits (1, 2, 3, etc.) for the 10 minute markers, and its “roulette” date wheel (alternating red and black numerals for odd and even dates), the Triton was easily recognizable.
Launched in 1963 and sold until the mid 1970s, the Triton was available exclusively through Spirotechnique’s dive shops. This technical watch, one of the more expensive diving watches, was designed for professional divers and the military. The Triton could be found on the wrists of Commander Cousteau’s team and on those of elite French and American combat divers.
