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Why a Comex watch is something special. (Warning: long text)

When you own a Comex-diver’s watch, remember that it is not only a rare and collectible wristwatch. It is also an icon of a forgotten time and a tribute to the brave heroes that made possible the oil adventure off the Norwegian coastline. And that is not only to the Comex divers, but all deep sea divers on the British and Norwegian sectors.

The Comex dive watches are much loved by watch collectors, and many of the Comex watch collectors feel they lack some information and background about the company and its activities. Based on public knowledge from several sources, I have tried to compile some of Comex’ and diving history, related to the Norwegian oil industry.

June 19th 1966 was the date that started the oil adventure in the North Sea off the coast of Norway. That led to the oil adventure in Norway and the beginning of Norway as one of the leading oil and gas producing countries and a major energy exporter.

On that date the driller “Ocean Traveller” was in position on block 8/3 and started drilling the first oil well in the North Sea.

The offshore oil industry was a much closed community and working conditions were quite different from onshore. Hiring and firing was done without much formalities and the traditional respect for trade unions found onshore was practically none existing.

Payment was good – not as good as the recruiters said, but well above onshore. 144 hours weeks were not unusual and finding professional deep sea divers was difficult.

Diving down to 60 – 70 meters (200 feet) was unusual for the Norwegian divers, they had neither the routine nor the equipment the American and British divers had.

Certification was not an issue, either. Those who could prove that they were able to dive could be hired. At the same time, the divers did not have the same status as the production and drilling personnel. Quite often they experienced to be thrown off the helicopter and had to ride on the supply vessel, and to find accommodation on the lower decks on the platforms.

Oil related diving happened in two quite different scenarios. One was the production of the huge concrete platforms (Condeep) in the fiords, the other and more challenging scenario was the pipe-laying, ditching, field development and after some time temporary as well as permanent seabed production facilities.

Deep sea diving was at that time quite rare. Oil exploration in the Mexican Gulf had happened down to 10 meters/33 feet, while the first saturation diving techniques were developed at the same time as the diving on the North sea started, first salvage diving down to 73 meters in 1966 and a new record of 183 meters in 1967.

The normal depth at Ekofisk the North Sea is about 70 meters, while Stafjord has depths up to 150 meters, There was also need for a pipeline crossing a natural ditch 300 meters deep.

Because of this, techniques for saturation diving had to be developed and in 1978 the first demonstration dive down to 300 meters happened in the Skanevik Fiord.

A series of test dives were conducted in cooperation with a very competent diving research environment in Norway, Polar Bear 1 to 150 meters in 1980, Deepex 1 to 300 meters later the same year, Deepex II to 500 meters in 1981 and Polar Bear 3 to 150 meters in 1982.

Reasons for these test dives were to test termic influence (the North Sea is cold!) new breathing gases and last but not least testing the ability to work at a length of time at extreme depths. Development of procedures and techniques were also conducted, welding was one of the most important. Several demonstration dives were conducted with welding done at depths down to 400 meters

Comex was one of the major operators in the North Sea during all those years, the company was organized as Comex Norway and was bought by the Norwegian cement producer Norcem (also engaged in offshore supplies as well as production of the Condeep platforms). Norcem’s offshore and oil support activities, including Comex, was later sold to Aker, a Norwegian shipbuilding and platform building constructor. Latest the offshore support activities including Comex was sold to Stolt Nielsen (also offshore supplies and support), later Stolt Comex Seaways, StoltComex and now Stolt Offshore, today based in Aberdeen , Scotland.

Other companies engaged in North Sea diving activities, both in British and Norwegian sectors, were Taylor diving (USA), Oceaneering inc, Ocean Systems International inc,

We owe these pioneers for much of our wealth today. Remember that saturation diving was unknown at that time, the long time effects were not known, and today we see that many of the diving pioneers are suffering severely from the effects, loss of memory, other physical as well as psychological problems, a high suicide rate is among the problems the forgotten diving pioneers suffer from.

I remember one diver who sold his Comex Sea-Dweller later to find a new home at one of the collectors who said; “make sure this watch is taken good care of, it has been a faithful companion in a very tough job!”