Skindiver 38 Automatic – Cédric Dodane
- Category
- Challenge
- Case
- Steel
- Movement
- Self-winding mechanical Power reserve: 42 h, 28800 vph
- Functions
- Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date
- Size
- ø 38 mm
- Thickness
- 12 mm
- Water resistance
- 200 m
- Reference
- SA38-003-RB1-BLK-CDOD
- Price
- 525 CHF
Description
THE MEETING OF TWO HERITAGES IN THE SERVICE OF THE TOOL WATCH
The Skindiver 38 Automatic was born from the meeting of Wolbrook and Cédric Dodane, bringing together two complementary legacies of French watchmaking.
Developed under the direction of Maximilien Triquigneaux, with the collaboration and technical guidance of Cédric Dodane, this special edition reinterprets the Skindiver through the lens of French military and professional diving watches.
Its 316L stainless steel Skindiver 38 case retains the proportions that made this architecture iconic: a 38 mm diameter, a glass box-style sapphire crystal, a titanium-carbide black PVD-coated unidirectional bezel, and 200 meters of water resistance ensured by a screw-down crown and caseback. It also incorporates HexapleX® architecture, developed by Wolbrook to improve shock resistance while preserving the watch’s compact proportions.
The dial revisits the Skindiver’s design language with large even numerals at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 o’clock. Individual luminous plots mark the minute track, while the four-line dial signature, written entirely in French, pays tribute to the tradition of French military and professional watches. Old Radium Super-LumiNova® provides the warmth of vintage timepieces while delivering modern luminous performance.
The date display features a custom “roulette” date wheel, alternating red numerals for even dates and black numerals for odd dates. Found on certain Skindiver models of the 1960s and reintroduced by Wolbrook in 2019, this detail remains one of the collection’s historic signatures.
A defining feature of this edition is the seconds hand inspired by historical Dodane dive watches. Reinterpreted for this collaboration, it was developed to maximize luminous material while ensuring its long-term durability. This functional construction naturally creates a sequence of dots and dashes reminiscent of Morse code.
The caseback is engraved with a combat swimmer and the motto “Per Ardua Ex Profundis Ad Astra.” Inside the caseback appears a monogram inspired by the Dodane brothers, together with the famous Comtois motto “Comtois, rends-toi ! Nenni, ma foi !” These discreet references remind us that this edition is above all the meeting of two French legacies united by a shared vision of the tool watch.
Powered by the Miyota 9015 automatic movement, the Skindiver 38 Automatic – C. DODANE & WOLBROOK celebrates two heritages. More importantly, it demonstrates that those heritages continue to inspire new stories to be written.
Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.