Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Italy: Mares and Pirelli

[skippy311]

Many thanks for these fascinating posts!

 

[David Wilson]

Here is the Mares Olimpia in 1969:

The trilingual caption says it all. The rimless version appears to have been discontinued.

Here's a colour image from the 1950s:

The Olimpia is the orange model numbered 19 and displayed on the extreme right. Note the plastic rim the mask now sports after years of metal lens surrounds.

And here is the mask again in 1974, now dubbed the "Nuova Olimpia" ("New Olimpia").

Note the thicker plastic frame around the lens.

That's it for today, and I see my efforts have already been rewarded with plaudits. Thanks, Skippy! More anon, or more facepiece with a wide field of vision. Stay safe in the meantime.

 

[JMBL]

Sorry for being slightly off topic, but your repeated posts about vintage masks make me lust for one of those. One wide lens only and rubber thingies for compensation close to the nose. Just one problem, the only model I can locate on the French market is made by Beuchat (with silicone skirt by the way), but it's damn too narrow for my face. Do you know any brands selling such masks, please ?

 

[David Wilson]

Sorry for being slightly off topic, but your repeated posts about vintage masks make me lust for one of those. One wide lens only and rubber thingies for compensation close to the nose. Just one problem, the only model I can locate on the French market is made by Beuchat (with silicone skirt by the way), but it's damn too narrow for my face. Do you know any brands selling such masks, please ?

What first comes to mind is the range of classic masks made in France by Sommap and showcased at Classic masks - SOMMAP Aquatic Sports Diving masks - SOMMAP. There are several with compensators. I have a rubber-skirted Sommap Visiomer mask that fits my broadish face quite well:

Another avenue to explore is Amazon.fr. I entered "masque plongée caoutchouc" into the search engine and I got several promising leads that way including Sommap models and a few reasonably priced old-school masks made in China. In the latter case, check the product description for skirt material if you want to avoid the silicone or PVC option.

Etsy and Ebay are worth a look too for both vintage and modern retro oval masks, especially if you are prepared to search beyond eBay.fr and see what, say, Germany and Italy have to offer in the way of older mask designs. There are some lovely classic Russian oval masks too in colours other than black on the country's online retail outlets. The soft-skirted Nimfa model is a particular favourite of mine:

Hope this helps.

 

[JMBL]

Thanks for the advice. I know of Sommap masks, but can't find them anywhere, even asked a list of retailers on their website, but never got an answer... Still, I'll be on the Riviera very soon, I'll check out all LDS and shops for one. Buying a mask via internet is a big no no for me. For the last 30 years, finding a mask fitting my large face (who said loud mouth ? ) has been a problem. I need to try it on before buying.

 

[David Wilson]

Today's Mares mask is the Panoramica, which appeared in 1960 and was notable, as you might be able to deduce, for the wide field of vision it provided:

It will have débuted that year with the stock number 1200 before receiving a proper product name. Note the triple-perforated head strap that was the distinguishing feature of some early Mares masks.

This model resembled a number of other manufacturers' panoramic masks that had also entered the marketplace in the late 1950s and the early 1960s, e.g.:

Hurricane Argonaute (France: 1957)

Aqualung Professional (USA: 1960)

Barakuda Stromboli (Germany: 1960))

This type of mask proved to have enduring appeal within the diving community throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Later examples included:
Scubapro Supervision 1970-1980 (USA: Could be earlier start and later finish).
Healthways Scubarama (USA: Listed in Larry Clinton's Complete Outfitting & Source Book for Sport Diving (1978)).
Nemrod Denia (Spain, 1972).
Britmarine Salamander ( UK, 1970s).

 

[David Wilson]

Here is the Mares Panoramica in 1961:

Italian: "Maschera «PANORAMICA» con campo visivo in «perspex» resistentissima."
Rough translation: "'PANORAMICA' mask with a visual field in ultra-rugged 'perspex'"

So the two selling points for the mask lens were breadth of vision and the ruggedness of perspex. Here is the mask again in 1963:

Italian: "Art. 1200 - PANORAMICA. Con lente in plexiglass infrangibile a forma semicircolare che permette une amplia visione laterale. È la maschera più indicata per l'osservazione subacquea. Colore nero."
Rough translation: "Item 1200 - PANORAMICA. With shatterproof semicircular plexiglass lens allowing broad lateral vision. It is the most suitable mask for underwater observation. Black colour."

The Panoramica then vanished from view. A replacement eventually came along in 1976:

A different name, ORIZZONTE (Italian for "Horizon") and a different design, not a million miles away for the Salamander mask made during the 1970s by Haffenden-Richborough in the UK:

US Divers has a similar "Wraparound" mask but with silicone skirts that can still be purchased nowadays:

That's plenty for today and there will be more at the weekend. We'll be taking a look at some masks with stock numbers in the 1959 Mares catalogue whose manufacture was discontinued before they received product names. In the meantime, stay safe.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, JBML, and to all my anonymous readers.

Today we focus on the handful of Mares diving masks that never made it beyond a captionless stock number in 1959 to a product name. They are something of a mixed bunch as we shall see.

1117

The front view of a mask with a split head strap and an oval lens surrounded by a metal rim. Note the position of the screw at the bottom of the rim.

1123

The rear view of a mask with a Mares-style triple-perforated head strap and an oval lens surrounded by a metal rim.

1232

The front view of another mask with a Mares-style triple-perforated head strap and an oval lens surrounded by a metal rim. Note the position of the screw on the side of the rim.

Probably not much to see here in the way of innovation, but we always remember that we are looking at masks made in the late 1950s, well before most modern mask refinements were even at the ideas stage.

 

[David Wilson]

The fourth unnamed Mares mask in stock number order for review is bound to provoke a reaction two decades into our new millennium.

1244

What a monster with its elongated and reinforced sides, its harness of adjustable straps that go both around and over the head and its sturdy metal rim!

By way of comparion, the 1255 is reminiscent of Cressi's earliest Sirena mask:

and Cressi's Sommozzatore mask:

Cressi discontinued both designs shortly after its 1955 catalogue, which contained the following:

Italian: "SOMMOZZATORE. E’ stato il primo tipo di maschera a risolvere particolari esigenze dell’immersione in profondità. Costruito con profili e spessori razionali, atti alla pressione. Massima aderenza, appoggio ben distribuito su tutto il viso, ottima tenuta, particolarmente indicata per nasi pronunciati. Per impiego generico e particolarmente per il fondo. In una sola misura: C (grande).
Official Cressi translation: "SOMMOZZATORE. This was the first type of mask to answer to the particular requirements of deep immersion. Made with rational profile and thickness, adapted to pressure. Maximum adherence, fits well over the face, is very water-tight and particularly indicated to pronounced noses. For general use and especially deep immersion. In one size only: C (large).
My translation: "SOMMOZZATORE. This was the first type of mask to comply with the particular requirements of deep diving. Made with a rational profile and thickness, capable of withstanding pressure. Maximum grip, support well distributed over the face, excellent seal and particularly suitable for pronounced noses. For general use and for deeep diving in particular. Available in one size only: C (large).

 

[David Wilson]

It's a shame that we don't have access to a source describing the rationale underlying the development of the Mares 1244, but I do suspect that the design dates back to the early days when Ludovico Mares was Ludwig Mareš and the empire of Austria-Hungary bounded the Adriatic Sea. I also suspect that the Mares 1244 was the mask without the built-in snorkel worn by one of the young snorkellers at the seaside in the Netherlands in these Wikipedia photographs taken in 1959:

No over-the-head strap, though, to complete the harness.