Blancpain/Lip

Fifty Fathoms Circa 1953 Men's diving watch Steel case signed on the back with Mr. Saint-Cricq's name Mechanical self-winding movement Caliber AS1361/N signed Diameter: 41mm Nato bracelet Provenance: Maurice Saint-Cricq We are very pleased to present you this very beautiful and rare Blancpain Fifty fathoms, this watch was bought new by General Maurice Saint-Cricq thanks to his friend This watch was purchased by General Maurice Saint-Cricq through the intermediary of his friend Robert Maloubier who is the creator of the model, A letter of origin from the family attests it. It is a model of the beginning of the production with its specific dial, it passed through the Blancpain workshop in Switzerland who gave a detailed report. Maurice Saint-Cricq was born on 7 November 1921 in Pau. He entered the Ecole de l'Air in October 1942, then joined "Jeunesse et montagne". Wishing to take part in the fight against Germany, he escaped from France via the Pyrenean border in July 1943; after two months of detention in the Miranda camp, he went to Morocco, joined the fighting forces in North Africa and joined the Air Force Academy in Marrakech. Seconded to the United States in February 1944, he was certified as a pilot the same year. Back in France, he was posted to Fribourg in 1945 to the II/33 "Savoie" reconnaissance group, which he left in 1950 for Brétigny where he served as a test pilot at the Flight Test Centre. Sent to Indochina in 1952, he was placed at the head of the "Armagnac" reconnaissance squadron attached to the 1/19 "Gascogne" bombing group. After an internship at the Staff College, he returned to Cognac in 1954 to command the 11/33 "Savoie" tactical reconnaissance squadron for two years. Head of the reconnaissance aviation section at the General Inspection of the Air Force in 1956, he joined 18 months later the 33rd reconnaissance squadron based at Lahr as second-in-command before taking command of it in 1958. After graduating from the Ecole Supérieure de Guerre Aérienne in 1961, he was assigned to the Air Force Headquarters where he headed the General Studies Office, which later became the General Plans Office. Promoted to colonel in 1965, he commanded the Strasbourg air base, then the Mont-de-Marsan air base and the Military Air Experiment Centre until March 1967. Chief of Staff of the Air Force, he was appointed Air Brigadier General in 1968 and the following year took command of the Air Force Academy and the Air Force Military Academy. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces in 1971, promoted to Air Division General in 1972, he was entrusted with the command of the Strategic Air Forces for nearly three years. Raised to the rank and title of Air Force General and appointed Inspector General of the Air Force in 1975, the government entrusted him with the duties of Chief of Staff of the Air Force from June 24, 1976 to July 15, 1979. He was placed on aircrew leave on July 16, 1979. General Saint-Cricq, holder of three commendations in the Air Force order, is Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour. He has logged nearly 6,000 flying hours.