LIP Nautic 666 Automatic Manufacture R26 black dial steel bracelet 39 mm

The Nautic 666 Legacy Reimagined

When LIP launched the Nautic 666 in the late 1960s, the Besançon-based manufacture created one of the boldest dive watches of its era. Designed for the North American market, it featured an intriguing marking on its dial: “666 feet.” While the number might have amused—or unsettled—the superstitious, it simply referred to the watch’s true water resistance of 200 meters. Thus was born its legendary nickname: the “Devil Diver.”

At a time when few brands dared such unconventional communication, Fred Lip—ever the visionary and iconoclast—proudly displayed this depth rating on the dial, while others avoided it out of superstition. This daring move left a lasting mark on the brand’s history and cemented the Nautic 666 as a legend among French tool watches.

Produced in small numbers at the time, the watch has since become one of the most sought-after LIP models among collectors. Its balance of functional design, adventurous spirit, and strong visual identity make it a key milestone in French watchmaking heritage.

In 2025, LIP revives this icon as a true manufacture dive watch. The Nautic 666 R26 retains the aesthetic lines of the original model while embracing today’s technical standards: a 39 mm 316L stainless steel case, unidirectional rotating bezel, and above all, the LIP R26 automatic calibre — the first in-house movement from Besançon since the days of Fred Lip.

Designed for those who face the depths with style, this reissue preserves the pioneering spirit and boldness of its ancestor while paying tribute to the ingenuity of French watchmaking.

Design & Diving Functionality

The Nautic 666 R26 ref. 676053 faithfully revives the codes of the original dive watch, updated with refined modernity.
Its 39 mm 316L stainless steel case recalls vintage proportions while ensuring contemporary wrist comfort. The unidirectional rotating bezel, featuring a black anodized aluminum insert, allows divers to measure immersion time precisely and safely.

Protected by a slightly domed sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective coating, the black sunray-finished dial offers exceptional legibility. Large “Old Radium” luminescent indexes and hands ensure clear reading even in the darkest depths. The result is a clean, functional, and highly legible design — a true instrument for action.

Equipped with a screw-down crown, the Nautic 666 guarantees water resistance to 200 meters (20 ATM), placing it among professional-grade dive watches.
The screw-down exhibition caseback reveals the finely decorated LIP R26 manufacture movement, laser-engraved and adorned with the LIP logo — a nod to the watch’s French origin.

For maximum comfort, this version comes with a three-link 316L stainless steel bracelet that is both durable and supple, secured by a folding safety clasp. This practical and aesthetic choice reinforces the watch’s all-terrain nature — equally at home beneath the waves or in daily life.

Individually numbered, each Nautic 666 R26 embodies the brand’s philosophy: combining the understated elegance of French design with genuine technical functionality.

The LIP R26 Movement

Convinced it was time to restore LIP to its former glory, the management of the Besançon manufacture launched an ambitious project: to once again design a true French-made movement, worthy of Fred Lip’s legacy.
After three years of patient collaboration with the engineering school SupMicroTech in Besançon, the LIP R26 calibre was born — the first automatic movement designed and assembled in Besançon in over half a century.

Developed through reverse engineering of a proven mechanical base, the R26 was completely reimagined: new blueprints, redesigned components, micrometric adjustments, and modernized finishes.
Over 70% of its production value is French, with most manufacturing located in the Besançon region — a rare level of local craftsmanship in this price segment, almost unique in contemporary watchmaking.

Measuring 26 mm in diameter and 5.92 mm thick, the movement features a laser-decorated gear bridge and oscillating weight that integrate the LIP logo directly into their structure.
This moving decoration, both playful and hypnotic, comes alive with each motion of the wrist, revealing the brand’s signature as if by magic.
Hexagonal screws — a subtle nod to French engineering — further emphasize the national pride behind the project.

Beating at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), the R26 offers a 42-hour power reserve and accuracy between –5 and +10 seconds per day.
It features a hacking seconds mechanism and a quick-set date function for precise, intuitive time-setting.
Each movement is meticulously assembled and adjusted by LIP’s master watchmakers, ensuring a level of precision worthy of the finest manufactures.