After decades of absence, Vulcain (“vul-can”) is re-launching in the U.S.   It was just a few months ago (see: Vulcain Anniversary Heart Watch for ONLY WATCH 2011) that I was saying “we don’t hear much about Vulcain here in the United States as distribution for the brand is limited — but this is not to say that they do not produce some splendid watches, which in fact they do.”  So I am excited to see this official announcement because almost every Vulcain watch I can recall is a watch that I was impressed with.

I think these watches have the potential do sell well in the U.S. with a strong tie in to their “President’s Watch” positioning– a Vulcain watch having been owned President Harry S. Truman and each United States President since (as well as other eminent world figures).  As well, Vulcain claims a unique technical heritage for inventing the first wristwatch equipped with a genuinely operational alarm function, known as the “Cricket”.  In fact I think all their watches now have a “cricket” caliber in them — which by the way is also an in-house movement (another plus, in my book!).

Pricewise, I think they are somewhere in the $5,000 – $10,000 range, give or take a few thou.  Stay tuned and I hope to bring you more coverage of Vulcain watches in the future.  For now, here’s a look at a couple of the nautical watches they intro’d this year that I happen to like…old school decompression tables on the dial!

Vulcain Nautical Watches (2011)

42mm stainless steel case, water resistance of 300 meters (990 feet) enabling the use of the alarm function under water, automatic mechanical Cricket Calibre V-10; hour, minute, seconds, alarm, decompression tables adjustable by a screw-lock crown at 4 o’clock