Blancpain Rayville S.A., “Fifthy Fathoms” and “Fifthy Fathoms, Aqua-Lung” In 1952, two French Naval officers, Commander (capitaine de frégate) Robert “Bob” Maloubier (1923-2015) and Sub-lieutenant (enseigne de vaisseau) Claude Riffaud (1924- 2016) were requested by the French Ministry of Défense to initiate and elite unit of combat swimmers for the French Military special military manoeuvres. Known as “Nageurs de Combat”, the unit required rugged equipment and contacted Blancpain Rayville S.A. to supply a suitable wristwatch. These two French heroes of the World War II will be the first two French combat swimmers (Nageurs de Combat), known by their pseudonyms of “NC 1” and “NC 1 bis”. By 1953, a suitable watch was created and in 1954 the “Fifty Fathoms”, capable of diving to 91 meters, was launched in France. The later “Aqua-Lung” version of the model with a depth rating of 1 000 feet (304,8 meters), as offered here, is referred to by collectors as the “life saver”, due to its wide revolving bezel. Similar watches - No. 3 500; Antiquroum, New York, auction, March 5, 2009, lot 442, for the amount of US$ 13 800.- - No. 4 343; Antiquroum, New York, auction, April 10, 2013, lot 319, for the amount of US$ 10 000.- - No. 8 592; Antiquorum, Monaco, auction, January 17, 2018, lot 192, for the amount of € 16 486.- (former Collection of Florent Pagny, French contest singer and actor).