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With the Marseillaise, Le Forban Sécurité Mer is bringing a historic model back into its ranks. The watch is based on the past of the French manufacturer, which has been revived. Nevertheless, Le Forban has not missed the opportunity to bring the Marseillaise into the present. Could the new old diving watch also be of interest to you?
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The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise Black in my shop
The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise Abyss Blue in my shop
Le Forban Sécurité Mer in my shop
Thoroughly French: Le Forban’s new diving watch
Le Forban Sécurité Mer is bringing a new, yet old watch back to the wrist. In keeping with the tradition of previous wristwatches since the brand’s revival, the name of the new watch is inspired by an old French port city: Marseillaise after Marseille. It follows watches such as the Malouine, Brestoise, Omaha, and Rochelaise. It pays tribute not only to Marseille and its importance as a port city, but also to the French national anthem, which is also called Marseillaise. The associations with French national pride are therefore deliberately initiated.
However, Le Forban Sécurité Mer emphasizes that it is not just reminiscing about the old watch from 1979. “The Marseillaise retains the character of its predecessor, the Monnin, but with improvements,” says the friendly French brand. It should definitely be better, after all, more than 45 years have passed since the historic model was released. In general, the quality of a good homage lies not in copying the original, but in preserving its spirit while going its own way.
But what exactly does this “path” of the Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise look like? I photographed and extensively tested the watch before its release.
Le Forban Sécurité Mer in the WATCHDAVID.Shop
You can find the Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise in my shop. The other models mentioned above are also available there. If you like understated, elegant, and classic tool watches, you will love Le Forban’s diving watches!
The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise at a glance
I immediately like the new design of the French diving watch. It comes with a stylish leather watch roll. This means you can take the Marseillaise with you on your travels without having to worry about scratches. The diving watch is available in two color variants: Abyss Blue with a black gradient and Old Black, which impresses with its “eggshell” colored indices. Both variants are available in my shop with a stainless steel strap and rubber strap, as well as a set.
How Le Forban turns a traditional case upside down
The French “Monnin” case, well known among enthusiasts, dates back to Georges Monnin. The watchmaker produced this characteristic case type in the 1970s for several diving watch brands.
Le Forban Sécurité Mer has taken a closer look at the case and changed its dimensions in particular. The height of the case has been reduced from 13 to less than 12 millimeters. Instead of 42 millimeters in length, the diameter is now only 40.80 millimeters, and the length between the lugs is 46 millimeters. The new, more compact design contrasts with most other new editions, which are going in exactly the opposite direction and becoming larger. The Marseillaise thus fits perfectly into the French brand’s model range. Lightness, compactness, and minimalism combined with excellent readability – that’s what I appreciate so much about Le Forban Sécurité Mer. The Marseillaise has also proven these qualities in everyday use. I’m impressed!
What has been retained is the charming retro look.
Suitable for diving?
The water resistance of its predecessor was exceptionally good for its time at 20 bar. Le Forban Sécurité Mer goes one better and makes the case water-resistant to depths of 250 meters, or 25 bar. I really like the back of the Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise. Here you will find an engraved octopus that beautifully adorns the case back. The octopus is a unique feature that only the Marseillaise has within the collection.
The case also has diving qualities beyond its water resistance. A flat sapphire crystal ensures scratch resistance and durability underwater. Readability is outstanding, thanks in no small part to the SuperLuminova luminous coating. Thanks to a unidirectional rotating 120-click bezel, even ambitious divers can use the Toolwatch.
The successful case is rounded off by a high-quality matte finish that highlights the tool watch character of the stainless steel case.
An upgrade for the movement
While older models such as the Brestoise and the Rochelaise still had Miyota movements, Le Forban has finally upgraded the Marseillaise. Instead of Japanese automatic movements, the French manufacturer now uses a SW200 from Sellita. This long-running favorite among automatic movements is rightly famous for its quality and reliability. As a license-free replica of the ETA 2824-2, the SW200 has become one of the most widely used Swiss automatic movements thanks to its accuracy and 38-hour power reserve. French design with a Swiss movement? They simply belong together.
The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise and its straps
You can choose the strap that best suits your style and mood to go with your Marseillaise. Or you can buy both straps with the watch and switch between them as you please. In everyday life, I wear the Marseillaise on a chic stainless steel strap with a matte finish and polished sides. The strap width at the lugs is 20 millimeters, tapering to the folding clasp and measuring only 16 millimeters at its thinnest point.
In my opinion, the new rubber strap called Dive-Bund is more interesting because it is rarer. In the past, the central pad element was made of leather. It was designed to keep the case away from the skin to prevent allergic reactions.
In the Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise, the two-piece strap is made entirely of rubber and can therefore be worn on dives. Those who prefer a more classic look can remove the pad element.
My conclusion on the Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise
The Marseillaise is the logical next step for Le Forban Sécurité Mer. The French manufacturer has developed a watch that no longer has to compete with older and cheaper models such as the Malouine or the Rochelaise, but can now set its sights higher. In terms of quality and the new movement, the Marseillaise is more comparable to Swiss watches in the lower premium segment. The diving watch also has sufficient history thanks to the Monnin case.
However, this is where the highlight lies: thanks to the new case dimensions, the watch fits perfectly with the brand after its resurrection a few years ago. I am excited to see what else we can expect from Le Forban Sécurité Mer in the future.
You can purchase the Marseillaise in black and Abyss Blue in my shop. Both watches cost 940.00 euros with a Rubber Dive rubber strap, 990.00 euros with a stainless steel bracelet, and 1,090.00 euros as a set with both straps. Considering the
More about Le Forban Sécurité Mer and the Marseillaise
The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise Black in my shop
The Le Forban Sécurité Mer Marseillaise Abyss Blue in my shop
Le Forban Sécurité Mer in my shop
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