CoLAB Sous-Marine
Step 4: Prototype reveal
CoLAB – Airain Sous-Marine
Help us shape Airainās next flagship
You already saw a glimpse of our Sous-Marineās character in the 3D-renditions from Step 3, yet nothing beats having a real watch in your hands. Its straight-forward looks and clear dial and hands lend this watch the level of quality time-reading you need under water. We are delighted to share the first images with you. Letās dive right in and have a look.

Design

Techn. dev.

Pre-order Round 1

Prototyping

Pre-order Round 2

In production

Shipping
Presenting the Prototypes: New Airain Flagship Casts Off!
From 18kt gold hands to a modern version of the Parmentier crown. Everything adds up.
How would the 18-karat gold-plated hands work in combination with the black dial and steel case? Would the case, so closely matching its original, have the intended feel of luxury? And would the new Parmentier Crown deliver on its promise?
As recently as last January, we sat down with our technicians in Switzerland to try to improve the watchās profile. We were worried that the dial would sit too deeply below the bezel. Weāve managed to bring its thickness down from 13.17 mm (including the sapphire glass) to 12.77 mm.
The results are beautiful! Itās with great pride we now present to you the new Airain skin diver; the Sous-Marine Re-Edition!
Prototype evaluation: the outcome
Based on the prototypes, we have made the following last-minute tweaks to the design:
- The font shape of the six on the dial does not yet align with our intentions, so we are currently discussing this with our supplier.
- The bezel should be better aligned. It should be straight with the indexes when put towards the stop position.
- The engraving on the bezel should be less deep to better reflect the original. We are changing the engraving depth from 0.25 mm to 0.10 mm.
- The Parmentier Crown capās indentations are too deep. This loosens the crown capās grip on the crown somewhat. Even though the Re-Edition is self-wound, we want to stay true to the original. So it is still important for us that it works as intended.
- The minute hand is too long. We will shorten it by 0.5 mm.
- The roulette date wheels (alternating red and black numerals) were not yet finished in the prototypes. The ones shown are standard date wheels.
- The Fixoflex bracelet shown here was an early pre-production sample. We are currently perfecting the braceletās position and end piece.
Our Protos Photos
A closer look
Ref 524.437A and 524.437B
Glossy black dial, light old radium lume, 18K gold plated hands, DNA strand seconds hand (B) or French lollipop seconds hand (A). On a Tropical Black FKM Rubber strap and a Fixoflex bracelet.
Pre-order Round 2
Select your favourite down below
After careful prototype testing and teasing of close-up photos, itās time to open a new round of pre-orders for our latest release, the Airain Sous-Marine! The origin story of this skin diver dates back to the 1960s: the golden age of dive watches. In the 20s of a new century, another chapter is added to the Sous-Marineās history book. You can get your hands on this revived classic for a special pre-order price now š:
BONUS: Collect CDMLEC Rewards with your purchase
Pre-ordering your Sous-Marine now comes with an added benefit. Weāre rolling out a new loyalty programme to reward future AND past buyers of Airain products (+ CDMLECās other brand, Lebois & Co).
Through this programme, you automatically build up points for every purchase at one of CDMLECās brands. You can check out the first details on our dedicated Rewards page, which weāll expand soon. For now, the most important thing to note is that loyal fans will enjoy more benefits in the future!
Airain Sous-Marine Re-Edition
A skin diver developed to modern standards, yet true to the original in nearly every detail. Available with lollipop or DNA strand seconds hand.


Sous-Marine
Re-Edition
Ref 524.437A
with glossy black dial, light old radium lume, 18K gold plated hands and lollipop seconds hand on a Tropical Black FKM Rubber strap and a Fixoflex bracelet
US$ 1854


Sous-Marine
Re-Edition
Ref 524.437B
with glossy black dial, light old radium lume, 18K gold plated hands and DNA strand seconds hand on a Tropical Black FKM Rubber strap and a Fixoflex bracelet
US$ 1854
Airain Sous-Marine Limited Series
An exclusive run of the Airain Sous-Marine. Very similar but still different (look closely if you can find all the differences). For this occasion we exclusively used the Airain crown logo on these models.


Sous-Marine
Deep Blue
Ref 524.422
Deep blue dial with BGW9 lume and white painted hands on a Tropical Blue FKM Rubber strap and a Fixoflex bracelet
US$ 1854


Sous-Marine
Faded Black
Ref 524.407
Faded black dial with C3 lume and silver polished hands on a Tropical Black FKM Rubber strap and a Fixoflex bracelet
US$ 1854


Sous-Marine
Ocean Green
Ref 524.481
Ocean green dial with light old radium lume and silver polished hands on a Tropical Green FKM Rubber strap and a Fixoflex bracelet
US$ 1854


Sous-Marine
Tropical
Ref 524.457
Tropical dial with light old radium lume and bronze colored hands on a Tropical Black FKM Rubber strap and a Fixoflex bracelet
US$ 1854
Displayed prices include DDP (Delivery Duty Paid) for all countries in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the USA meaning that shipping as well as customs duties and VAT for these countries are included. For all other countries, prices include DAP (Delivered at Place) meaning that only shipping is included and customs duties and VAT are not included.
Full Specs
Airain Sous-Marine Re-Edition
Swiss-Made modern reissue of Airainās 1960s dive watch. It includes a unique and historically accurate āParmentier crownā, providing water resistance to a depth of 200 metres, a unidirectional rotating diverās bezel with 120 clicks and 60-minute scale.
Case
316L stainless steel case
Diameter: 37.5 mm (case) / 38.2 mm (bezel)
Height: 10.45 mm
Crystal: 2.92 mm domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating inside
Lug-to-lug: 48.2 mm
Stainless steel case back, screwed down, engraved
Bezel: unidirectional (counterclockwise) rotating with white engraving and Super Luminova dot at 12 o’clock, full black PVD coated
Water resistance: 200 m (20 ATM)
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Strap
Lug width: 20mm
Strap: quick-release Tropic-style FKM rubber strap
Buckle type: pin buckle
Size: 18mm
Bracelet
FixoflexĀ® expandable watch band
Stainless steel
Finishing: vertically brushed
Width: 20mm
Easily removable links
Movement
AM5 automatic calibre
Diameter: 25.6mm
Height: 4.45mm
Frequency: 4 Hz / 28,800 vibrations/hour
Twenty-four (24) jewels
68 hours power reserve
Hacking seconds
Tungsten rotor
Finishing: Geneva stripes (CÓtes de Genève), blue polished screws and gold coloured engravings
Datewheel: roulette (alternating red and black numerals)
Adjusted to 4 positions (CH, FH, 3H, 6H, 9H)
Warranty
2 years international warranty
Flagships need strong engines
The Swiss-Made AM5 self-winding mechanical movement is based on Manufacture La Joux-Perret’s G100 and boasts an impressive 68 hours of power reserve. Its solid tungsten rotor ensures a smooth rotation and weight distribution while its accuracy is regulated to no less than 4 positions. It is finished in āSoignĆ©ā with blue screws.
Move the slider to reveal whatās behind the Sous-Marineās case back.
* = The final finishing of the movement may differ slightly from the picture shown.
What’s next?
- Now: A final evaluation of the prototypes
Weāre currently finalizing all changes we want to implement towards final production. - Early July: Pre-order Round 2
When everything checks out, weāll update this page and start Pre-Order Round 2 early July. Our Newsletter subscribers will be notified first. If you would like to own a Sous-Marine, be sure to register for one or more models. And donāt forget to keep an eye on this page anyhow!Please note: availability of individual references of the limited series is based on their popularity in Pre-Order Round 1.
- Then: Production
In the second half of July, our Swiss manufacturers will start producing your Sous-Marine of choice. The movements will be ready in October 2023, after which watch assembly can start. We expect to start shipping by the end of November 2023. As soon as we have an idea of the exact delivery date, we will give you a heads-up by email.
Project Timeline
29 March, 2022 | Step 1: Design foundations |
13 May 2022 | Step 2: Revealing the design |
10 December 2022 | Step 3: Presenting the results in 3D and technical details |
16 December 2022 | Pre-order Round 1 (pre-prototype) |
26 June 2023 | Step 4: Prototype evaluation |
10 July 2023 | Launch of Pre-order Round 2 |
July 2023 | Start of final production |
2 October 2023 | Movements ready, start of assembly |
November 2023 | Start delivery |
The above timeline is an estimate and can be adjusted if necessary.
Virtual Coffee Catch-up
Talking watches and project progress: register for our virtual coffee meetings
Don't forget to brew your own cup of coffee beforehand š
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I see in the pre-order pictures that the date wheel is red while in the prototype pictures the date wheel is black. Which will we see in the final production?
Hi JFPisa,
You are totally right. The roulette date wheels (alternating red and black numerals) were not yet finished in the prototypes. The ones shown are standard date wheels. The final production pieces will indeed have the alternating red/black date wheel.
Cheers,
Tom
Love the new watch just wish you would make a larger size for men with large wrists. Also how about a photo with the watch on a mans wrist. Thanks.
Hi Michael! Thanks, great you like it!
While I understand you comment about the size because of the diameter of the watch (38.2 mm), I think it is important to note that the lug to lug size is quite large at 48.2 mm. So the watch may not be very wide but it is long. Both Fratellowatches and Monochrome Watches made some great wristshots you can check out on their blog articles.
Hi fellow watch enthusiasts, team Airain is here to answer your questions and comments. You are welcome to join the discussion!
Hello, For production models the WR rating is 200m for Airain Sous-Marine?
The update video indicates 50m. The spec. sheet on the web page states 200m. Thank you
Hi Dean,
The Sous-Marine is indeed 200m with the Parmentier crown cap on. Without the crown cap it is 50m (instead of the earlier advertised 30m).
I hope this clarifies your question.