PROJECT: FROGDIVER 44

Project FROGDIVER, ”Röjdykare” in Swedish,  began in the autumn of 2019. It is an ambitious project and initiative between MALM and members of the 44th Mine Clearance Division who are a part of the 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla in the Swedish Navy. The main objective of this project is to develop a robust and reliable dive watch completely based on the experience of the Swedish frogmen and their requirements.

The name FROGDIVER 44 is a nod to the term “Frogman”, the common name for naval clearance divers. Number 44 suggests both the size/diameter of the watch case as well as the 44th Mine Clearance Division participating in this project. The FROGDIVER 44 is, apart from the Swiss automatic movement from Sellita, designed and developed from scratch by MALM and the divers. All details are interpreted in high-performance components and functions with shapes, colors, and materials chosen to withstand the tough conditions in the cold and dark Swedish waters. 

For the analog, mechanical watch to meet the divers’ requirements, the best possible readability is a must. The dark background creates a clear contrast against the white second-indices that are printed with BGW9. 12 pcs of raised boxes have been applied with BGW9 and supplies bridges for 12 pcs of custom made tritium tubes which illuminates independently of any light sources. The tritium tube’s ability to glow by its own makes them very popular and usable in dive watches.

In consultation with the Swedish frogmen, MALM has developed an analog depth gauge as a complement to their modern and digital depth meters. The depth gauge has a so called capillary tube with no moving parts. While diving and descending, water enters the tube and creates an air bubble that moves inside the tube when pressure changes. The water enters through a drilled hole in the sapphire crystal and lead into the tube starting at 9 o'clock position. Connected to the tube there’s a scale showing the current depth that the diver can read.

Read more about Project: FROGDIVER 44 here. The watch will be made in a limited edition.