Nations Attic 2026 Diving Into History + More
Lot 16:
Description
Founded in Marseille in 1961 by the visionary Henri-Germain Delauze, Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises (COMEX) stands as the preeminent name in the history of industrial deep-sea and saturation diving. A global pioneer in underwater exploration, COMEX revolutionized the field through the development of Hydreliox breathing mixtures and set staggering depth records—most notably a 701-meter simulated dive in 1992 and a 534-meter offshore pipeline connection in 1988. While COMEX-branded Rolex Submariners are legendary among horologists, the company’s surviving diving helmets are even more elusive, prized by elite collectors for their scarcity and direct connection to the world’s most dangerous frontiers. This helmet represents a rare, tangible relic of French engineering excellence and is a cornerstone piece for any serious maritime or professional diving collection.This rarely seen piece of COMEX equipment is a dive mask with a rubber hood connected to a neck ring system secured by three knobs. This early mask is in very nice original condition. The side block features the number 1300 on it. This is the only stamping we could find. The orange-and-brown paint shell is still in great original condition. Few of these masks have survived, especially with the black rubber hood and neck ring! The manikin head shown is not included. All diving helmets in this auction will be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Nations Attic. The certificate will have a unique number that will match the number on a tamperproof hologram decal placed inside the helmet. This information will be kept on permanent file at Nations Attic and help ensure the provenance of the helmet and authenticity.All items will be shipped with a signature required upon delivery and full insurance either via FedEx or the USPS Priority Mail. Worldwide shipping is available; however, no ocean freight will be offered on large items. A shipping quote prior to the auction can be provided by emailing your postal code.
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