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Enicar Sherpa Super Divette (Ref. 145/004), 1960s — view 1 of 6
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Enicar Sherpa Super Divette (Ref. 145/004), 1960s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Enicar (maker)
Date
1960s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
ENSSD145004
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (ENSSD145004)
Catalogue title (original)
1960s Enicar Sherpa Super Divette (Ref. 145/004) (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number ENSSD145004), this is a wristwatch by Enicar, made in Switzerland, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

Patented in 1956 by Ervin Piquerez SA (EPSA), the SuperCompressor case possessed a unique sealing system that set it apart from other dive watch cases of the day. When exposed to higher water pressure, the spring-loaded case back of the SuperCompressor case is sealed even tighter. Another innovation of the SuperCompressor was its approach to securing the bezel. As most diving watch timing bezels of the era rotated outside the case, the Enicar Super Compressor’s timing bezel rotated internally and was operated externally through a secondary crown. Dozens of other brands released dive watches with SuperCompressor cases, the most notable being Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, Enicar, Benrus, and Wittnauer. SPECS Stock # ENSSD145004 Brand Enicar Style Sherpa Super Divette Model 145/004 Serial 70XXXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Matte Black Millimeters 36 Strap 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The excellent and robust case retains all of its unique factory dimensions, wide chamfers, and angles on the broad lugs, showing gentle wear and nominal evidence of being polished in the past. The case retains its original twin crosshatch Enicar signed crowns. The case back retains all of its factory markings, though they are faint from wear but still visible. The watch comes supplied on a 2pc leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The original matte black dial is in very well-preserved condition, showing some minor elements of age in the form of darkening on the right side of the dial, though this is mostly invisible to the naked eye and no actual damage is present. The metallic inner rotating diving bezel is also in superb condition, which is rare for these watches, showing only gentle elements of age with the tritium marker fully intact and matching the lume plots on the dial. The tritium lume plots have achieved a charming golden-yellow coloration, under UV light inspection all the lume plots remain intact with no degradation present. The original tritium hands match the dial perfectly with no degradation present under UV light inspection. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be provided upon request.

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Dive and water-resistant watches

Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.

Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.

What to look for

  • Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
  • Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
  • Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
  • Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.

Dating clues

  • Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
  • Professional dive watches: from 1953.
  • Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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