# Three Ploprof Dials?



## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

I've come to the conclusion that there are historically three PloProf dials. They are most easily differentiated by the order and content of the lower dial text.

I'm calling this one Type I because I've only seen two and they were both pretty beat up. In my pointy head, that means it's likely the oldest style. Whether because of age or a different paint, these dials appear very dark blue. These Type I dials may be the reason for the rumoured black dial PP, which I previously put down to inadequate lighting in the photo.



















There are three that I've seen, all pretty knackered, very matte, bubbled and dark blue - almost black. I'm wondering if Omega noted paint problems on the Type I which precipitated the change to the Type II dials? Another observation based on the ageing of the few dials that I've seen: I'm wondering if the Type I dial used tritium and the others luminova? When was luminova first used? The reason I say this is because of the way the lume on the Type I dials seems to almost smear or melt away - typical for old tritium.

I'm calling this the Type II Dial. It is the dial on a mate's PloProf and the dial on my new arrival. The Type II is more blue. I've also noticed that the type of the "Seamaster" on the lower dial is much heavier than that of the "Professional" or the "600".










And this would be the Type III dial, the one we are all most familiar with. It has the depth rating in meters _and_ feet. The blue of the dial seems mid-way between the Type I and Type II.










Of course there are also two different bezels (straight "1"/thin triangle/flat "3" and serifed "1"/fat triangle/round "3") and at least two different case styles (front "C" and front "U"). I'm working on getting good photos of all these variants.

I may be nutty and I expect you guys to call me on it if you think I am. I haven't covered the Viet fakes, I already did that on a different thread here a while back. However in light of this, I may have to change some of my comments on that thread.

Finally, another shot of the FNG


----------



## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Nalu said:


> I may be nutty and I expect you guys to call me on it if you think I am.


Yes you are nutty Colin, but you're in good company here 







.


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

raketakat said:


> Nalu said:
> 
> 
> > I may be nutty and I expect you guys to call me on it if you think I am.
> ...


In the words of a Psychiatrist I came across in the late `70`s, a classic case of `Brazilian Syndrome`, very common among watch collectors























Interesting info Colin


----------



## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Indeed, very interesting, I allways find it amazing that things like this need to be researched by enthusiasts as there isnt a defined history to the evolutions of various watch models, it wasnt that long ago they were new ( in a relative sense)

I just hope one day I will have a need to read posts like these again when Im choosing a 600m for myself


----------



## Jeremy67 (Jun 27, 2006)

Ploprof?


----------



## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Bless you...


----------



## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Jeremy67 said:


> Ploprof?


The much-needed nickname for the Seamaster Professional 600m (aka SMP600). PloProf is in turn short for Plongeur Professionale, which is Fench for Professional Diver. Watch names









Jase I agree. It's shameful that these 100+ year old companies, who market their age as a badge of courage, can't tell us the history of a watch made 35 years ago.









Thanks to rhaythorne, we won't have that worry with RLT


----------



## Jeremy67 (Jun 27, 2006)

Many thanks for that, also answers my question about what "Plongeur hands" are.

One who plunges, is French a wonderful language.


----------



## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

jasonm said:


> Bless you...


























Colin and I have already discussed some this history stuff off forum and I, for one, am amazed how little anyone really knows about what the watch companies did in the 60s/70s. It seems Doxa was the same and we have to rely on Dr Miller for most of that history now... The Omega info seems to be all over the place atm.

I was sure large compaines that have endured the 70s/80s, like Omega, would keep records but I think at that time all these companies were too busy trying to keep sales up in the wake of the electronic and quartz revolution and would make pretty much anything you wanted within reason if it meant a sale.

I do wonder with these PP dials tho if some of these early ones were from the range that was being created and used by Cousteau etc. and so the later ones would be updated with the info fed back from the trails and the returns to create a darker dial/ better paint etc The PP wasnt that much more expensive than the 120m back in the early 70s but sold in smaller numbers due to its uncompromising dimensions.

All very very interesting indeed.... and Oh I sooo want a PP....


----------



## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Jeremy67 said:


> ..... is French a wonderful language.


Is that a question?

my answer would be NO!

they can't even think of names for numbers past 60!

sixty twenty four! wtf is that all about?










Great post, as per, Colin!


----------



## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Thanks PG et. al..

I re-posted this on numerous forums, skipping only TZ of the major forums that I'm aware of.

No responses on UDWF in over 100 views.









One response on MWR, the guy called me an _otaku_ (in this context it means 'watchnerd'). He said it was a compliment.







Thanks to all the 'experts' for the feedback.
















RLT rules!


----------



## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

tbh I think it's the only watch that I like with the polprof hands

The MWR experience doesn't suprise me







btw I'd take his claim of it being complimentary with a pinch of salt!

I'd love to have one, but that will be a while yet, got a 7 year old that insists on being fed and clothed!


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Nalu said:


> Thanks PG et. al..
> 
> I re-posted this on numerous forums, skipping only TZ of the major forums that I'm aware of.
> 
> ...


You got a few responses on WUS as well Colin







otaku!!! I would send the "boys" to pay him a visit!

I think it is interesting







and your pointy head logic works for me


----------



## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Something about pearls and swine...MWR is OK for reading, great for buying rare mil watches (admittedly at top dollar) and miserable for thinking critically if you're not part of the crowd. I'm not the 'intentionally provoking' type, but I do enjoy throwing the BS flag at "Bill" over there when he's on one of his liberal rants. My screen name at MWR is now _otaku_









The questions at WUS were good ones - the same ones I would have asked over the internet had it been there moons ago when I saw my first PloProf.

My first comment about MWR may have been unwarranted. My post may have been seen as a "Guess what I know" bait for a helpless respondent. Not that that would have ever happened over there.









Then again, this may all be bollocks and a product of the second barleywine























The immediately above is not meant to denigrate the first barleywine, which I'm certain did an admirable job in it's own right.


----------



## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Barley wine!

Now there's a thing, in my youth (ahem a lot longer ago than I wish it was) after a night of a dozen or so Fosters we'd cap the night off with a special brew and barley wine (yes in the same glass I know but hey I was 18) followed by a chaser (the only positive thing to come from those days as whilst my peers took the southern comfort or vodka and black route i developed my love of single malts!).


----------



## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

pg tips said:


> Barley wine!
> 
> Now there's a thing, in my youth (ahem a lot longer ago than I wish it was) after a night of a dozen or so Fosters we'd cap the night off with a special brew and barley wine (yes in the same glass I know but hey I was 18) followed by a chaser (the only positive thing to come from those days as whilst my peers took the southern comfort or vodka and black route i developed my love of single malts!).


In the early 80's I'd a lot of physchobilly mates who would drink a turbocharged 'snakebite' called a 'Michael Myers' which was barley wine and white diamond cider. lethal stuff
















Andy


----------



## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

I can remember a night of snakebite, pernod and black all in one, not a healty option!

And they talk of the "lad" culture as if it only started yesterday


----------



## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

When I worked it a nightclub we had an edict from on high to stop selling Snakebite n black as it could make you lose your sight... I always felt it was pretty handy to lose your sight in a nightclub but the senior managers felt the punters would appreciate us looking after them... needless to say on a Goth night the bar was nearly wrecked when hundreds of upset punters demanded the drink we couldnt serve....

Amusingly (and Foz can probably verify this) but a Goth can make a pint of the stuff last all night... Ive seen it done... stingy buggers... Goth nights were the only nights we lost money....


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

pg tips said:


> I can remember a night of snakebite, pernod and black all in one, not a healty option!
> 
> And they talk of the "lad" culture as if it only started yesterday


We had a similar drink in my formative years trawling the night-spots of Redcar









We called it "Diesel" i.e. snakebite (lager-cider mix) and blackcurrant ..... red diesel obviously


----------



## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Yep that Diesel was also on the 'not allowed to make' list. The Goths used to buy the ingredients in halves and shots and then 'find' a pint glass to chuck it in... so much for the 'laws'!


----------



## Ironpants (Jul 1, 2005)

Yeah, never understood that rubbish about not selling snakebite (didn't bother me, I hated it) it seemed a way of getting rid of "those people" who liked to drink it.

Like people who drank Light n' Bitter were any better







?!?

I know it must have been answered before but what is the red button for?









Toby


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Ironpants said:


> I know it must have been answered before but what is the red button for?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good thread recovery Toby ....


----------



## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Here's what I posted on another forum when asked this question:

"Well, I like to tell girls that it fires a laser beam and if they'll stand back I'll show 'em. But that's just because I've found that humour works better on women than launching into a WIS lecture on dive watch design 

But since this is a dive watch forum, I'll choose the latter. It is a spring-loaded button that releases the lock on the bezel and keeps it from turning accidentally in any direction. I.e., you push and hold the red button, turn the bezel; release the button & the bezel is locked in position.

This setup constitutes one of the few dive watch bezel safety innovations of the past 50-odd years of purpose built dive watches. It's in a small group which includes the uni-directional bezel, the push and turn bezel, the internal bezel and the friction-lock bezel. Next to the push and turn, the PloProf solution is the most effective IMO."

And back OT:

I lived in Hawai'i when I was first found Sierra Nevada's "Bigfoot Barleywine". It's truly the best barleywine I've ever had, and I've tried a few. One of my fav barkeeps introduced me to the "Big Black Foot" - a short pint of Bigfoot topped off with an inch or so of Murphy's Irish Stout







Nectar of the gods, I tell ya!


----------



## Steve264 (May 29, 2006)

Nalu said:


> It is a spring-loaded button that releases the lock on the bezel and keeps it from turning accidentally in any direction. I.e., you push and hold the red button, turn the bezel; release the button & the bezel is locked in position.


(flutters eyelashes) "ooh, Colin, it looks so BIIG! But your manly biceps show it off so well... I just find that bezel so fascinating, sweetie. Show me again how you hack the seconds...."


----------



## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I'll wear your pink dress Mr. Hitler (uncle Adolf).









What will the cops say when I shoot myself and embarrass you?

Sorry uncle.


----------



## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Stan said:


> I'll wear your pink dress Mr. Hitler (uncle Adolf).
> 
> 
> 
> ...










Looks like Colin's learned thesis has taken a turn for the worse.

Stan's spam poetry has taken over







.


----------



## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Just reading this and I'm thinking wtf red button on a pint of snakebite!









Then it dawned we were hijacking again (who started the hijack btw? We should ban the ******







wouldn't get away with it on MWR!).

Colin I am going to get some Barley wine and try the stout top up! Sounds devine!


----------



## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

pg tips said:


> Then it dawned we were hijacking again (who started the hijack btw? We should ban the ******
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think it was you Paul but I'll be your fall guy







. Banish me to MWR where I will surely wither and die







.


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

raketakat said:


> pg tips said:
> 
> 
> > Then it dawned we were hijacking again (who started the hijack btw? We should ban the tosser
> ...


Show `em your Chinese `Friendship` watch Ian, that`ll warm them to you


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Steve264 said:


> (flutters eyelashes) "ooh, Colin, it looks so BIIG! But your manly biceps show it off so well... I just find that bezel so fascinating, sweetie. Show me again how you hack the seconds...."


??


----------



## Ironpants (Jul 1, 2005)

JoT said:


> Ironpants said:
> 
> 
> > I know it must have been answered before but what is the red button for?
> ...


Didn't last long did it Jot









Toby


----------

