Supercompressor

A Compressor (or Super Compressor) case has proprietary water-proof technology from Ervin Piquerez S.A. (EPSA). Super Compressor dive watches from a variety of companies were popular in the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's and remain popular with collectors today.

Overview

The advent of true dive watches in the 1950's was brought about by many advances in materials and construction, but three areas were especially critical Sealing the crystal to the bezel, sealing the case back, and sealing the crown(s) at the stem holes. EPSA's technology primarily addressed the former two requirements, with conventional gaskets used around the crowns and stems. Although screw-down crowns are common today, they were not typical of the EPSA Compressor cases.

Because EPSA made their cases widely available, Compressor cases became nearly ubiquitous in the 1950's. Over 100 different watchmakers used EPSA Compressor and Super Compressor cases, from Hamilton and Enicar to Longines and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Most used stock EPSA cases, though a few modified the look with crown protectors, different lug shapes, and alternate crowns. Enicar even had a unique bayonet case back and referred to a different patent (Brevet) number than other Compressor cases.

EPSA ceased operations around 1975 and this marked the end of Compressor and Super Compressor case production. In recent years, other case-makers have copied the look of these cases, in particular the dual-crown Super Compressor style, and even the trademark crosshatch-inscribed crowns. Others have produced homages to their Super Compressor watches, notably the Longines Legend Diver and Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute to Polaris models.

Compressor Cases

All Compressor cases have a namesake gasket between the case back and the case that is compressed by water pressure for better sealing. The Super Compressor is thus rated for 600 m depth.

Single- and Dual-Crown

Although the dual-crown Super Compressor is best remembered today, EPSA produced a variety of single-crown Compressor cases and even a triple-crown snap-back Compressor for Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Memovox Polaris.

Dual-crown Super Compressors have a crown at 11 minutes to rotate an internal diving bezel, rotating the winding/setting crown to 19 minutes. Most manufacturers still placed the date window, if any, at 3 00. On the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris, the crown at 11 is for the alarm, with the bezel crown at 3 00 and the 19 crown for winding/setting. Single-crown Compressor cases place the crown at 3 00.

Compressor

The first model to appear was the EPSA **Compressor**. This case used a snap back and was thus not as water-tight as the Super Compressor.

Compressor 2

The **Compressor 2** has a large, deep case back that still snaps on. This allowed EPSA to produce various case styles, including tonneau and cushion cases.

Super Compressor

The **Super Compressor** cases feature a screw-on case back (or bayonet in the case of Enicar). These came in two sizes 38 mm and 42mm.

History

Rolex developed their water-resistant Oyster case in 1926. The design, based on the company's experience in World War I, featured a plexiglass crystal held in place with a special device, a screwed-on case back, and a screw-down winding crown. This was launched with an advertisement in the Daily Mail in 1927, which also introduced the term "Oyster." Although diving was not a popular sport for three decades, buyers appreciated that the Oyster was rugged and sealed to dust and moisture in everyday life.

So-called "frogmen" military divers appeared after the war, sometimes descending to 50 or 60 meters. Italian divers used Rolex Oyster watches strapped above the knee during their raids on shipping around 1940. These were modified Oyster cases tested to 100 meters with a thicker back, reinforced frame, and more robust crystal. Rolex added a rotating bezel marked to assist in decompression and produced their first true "underwater" model in 1951. Experimental Rolex Oyster models were proven by Auguste Piccard on his bathyscaphe in 1953 and the Rolex Submariner was introduced at the Basel Fair in 1954.

EPSA trademarked the term "Compressor" in January 1955, offering such cases to customers to compete with Rolex. Following the success of Jacques Cousteau's memoir and documentary "The Silent World", many watchmakers thought to introduce dive watches. The 1957 Basel Fair saw the introduction of the Zodiac Seawolf, Enicar Sherpa, Eterna Kon-Tiki, and others, most using an EPSA Compressor case.

The "Supercompressor" name was trademarked in May 1960 by EPSA. The first watch known to use the "Super Compressor" name is a 200 Meter dual-crown dive watch from Camy shown in a survey of dive watches in Europa Star in the March 1964 issue. But this same survey features other dual-crown watches that likely used the same case from Felca, Berna, Droz, Precimax, Enicar, Mulco, and Universal Geneve.

Felca offered single-crown "Super Compressor" sports watches in 1965 and Nitella listed a single-crown "Super Compressor" in 1966. Optima introduced a single-crown watch with a "Super Compressor" waterproofing system at the Basel Fair in 1967.

A 1967 ad by EPSA lists their various compressor offerings:

• Monoflex - A non-screwed self-tightening crown with a spring to seal against dust and humidity
• Suspense - A patented anti-shock elastic suspension system inside the case protects the movement
• Compressor - Waterproof case with latching case back system and spring compression crown
• Compressor 2 - Waterproof shaped case sealed by 4 compression spring locks
• Super Compressor - Waterproof case with screw-down case back and spring compression crown