Marinemaster

The roots of Fortis's diving vocation go back to 1938, when the brand introduced the Fortissimo series, among the first water-resistant watches in its catalogue thanks to a hybrid monocoque case in which the bezel itself helps clamp the crystal against the middle case, improving water resistance. From this technical foundation the Marinemaster name was born in 1954, with which Fortis began offering a line dedicated specifically to underwater use, making the brand one of the longest continuously active diving-watch manufacturers on the Swiss scene.

Over the following decades the line evolved through several generations of vintage references, including the 1968 Marinemaster 6237, today sought after by collectors for its robust case and graduated rotating bezel typical of divers from that era, and continued with automatic variants produced into the 1970s and 1980s, always keeping its characteristic instrument-oriented setup rather than a purely decorative watch.

In 2022, under the new ownership led by Jupp Philipp, Marinemaster was completely renewed as a pillar of the "Space, Sky and Sea" philosophy: the line is organized into two formats, the 44 mm M-44 with a COSC-certified automatic Kenissi movement and the 40 mm M-40 with an updated Sellita SW-200 calibre, both on a new barrel-shaped case with a triple screw-down crown and a unidirectional "Gear Bezel" with 120 clicks. In 2024 the M-40 range expanded with new dial colourways — including Amber Orange, Gravity Black, Ocean Blue and Blue Japan — confirming the commercial vitality of a line now more than seventy years old.