In 1932, Omega introduced the world's first diver's wristwatch, the Omega Marine, which was the first watch specifically tested and approved for diving at significant depths. The design came from a Swiss patent granted to Louis Alix, who was based out of Geneva. Rolex had already invented and patented the first waterproof wristwatch, the Oyster in 1926. Alix faced the challenge of patenting a design for the Omega Marine, specifically making the winding stem waterproof without infringing on the existing Rolex patent. He decided to place the entire watch inside an additional outer casing, sealed with cork to keep water away from the internal components of the watch. A spring clip was included to keep the inner caing, gasket, and outer casing together.
The crown was placed on the top section of the time piece, similar to a pocket watch, and placed within the safety of the outer casing. The Omega Marine was tested at the bottom of Lake Geneva at a depth of 73 meters in 1936, and later found to be completely waterproof to an extraordinary depth of 135 meters. The case, dial, and lug design were in an Art Deco style, which differed greatly from modern dive watches.
