Tropical 1960s Waltham Bathyscaphe

Waltham was once one of the most important and prolific watchmakers in the United States and was perhaps best known for their elegantly adored and high-quality pocket watches of the late 1800s and early 1900s. As with all timepiece manufacturers at the turn of the century, Waltham naturally switched manufacturing as watches migrated to the wrist, and over time produced a variety of sport and dress models.

Shortly before the original Waltham company closed its doors entirely in the late 1950s, it established a Swiss-based subsidiary known as Waltham International SA. Although the original Waltham company was gone entirely by 1957, the Swiss-based subsidiary remained operational into the 1960s. From here, Waltham partnered with Blancpain to bring the Fifty Fathoms dive watch to the American market under the well-established Waltham name, leading to the Waltham Bathyscaphe, which looks almost identical to the Blancpain-branded model, except for the name on its dials.