The large Mortima divers watches - plus the thermo-compass.

In the 1970s Mortima made a range of large dive watches with a width of 42 mm or larger. They mainly differ through the shape of the watch case. The dials are almost the same - black or blue with green painted hour markers, all cases are plated base metal and they are all powered by the Cattin C66 movement with date.
The divers were often labelled "SuperDatomatic" which is fun as the C66 movement is hand wound and not an automatic.
On the crystal most of the models has a small magnifying glass over the date - probably inspired by the Rolex cyclop on the Submariner. Following the fashion in the 1970s the watches have cases with hidden lugs.

So here we go. The ultimate list of wearable, affordable, desirable, contemporary-sized Mortima’s.

If you are interested in the story of Mortima, Cattin & Cie and Emile Cattin - click here and here.

The Hexagonal

Surprisingly little printed material with Mortima watches can be found. But we have this super ad that shows an original hexagonal version. Furthermore there was an ad in Motor Boating & Sailing magazine in November 1979 with the same watch. This tells that these Mortima dive watches were produced in the late part of the 1970s and maybe even into the 1980s.

Mortima printed ad with divers. The larger watch to the right is the hexagonal.
Date of ad unknown.

A closeup on the Mortima SuperDatomatic in the ad.
It has a blue dial and the outer external bezel is with minutes/hours.
The dot on the seconds hand is green.
It was sold with a rubber strap in "tropical" style. 

Small ad from Motor Boating and Sailing from november 1979.
Same bezels as in the ad above.

The dial on the watch in the ad reads: "Mortima, 17 Jewels, SuperDatomatic, Waterproof 100%". It is also common to see versions with "Super 28" instead of "17 Jewels" on the dial. And on some watches "Waterproof 100%" has been left out.
The Mortima hexagonal has one internal bezel and two external bezels. The external bezels are interesting - on the inner bezel is the numbers from 6 to 500 and on the outer bezel is minutes and hours and it says "M Km Knt". Not sure yet about how that works - but it is probably for some kind of speed measurement in "Miles", "Kilometers" and "Knots".
It is not uncommon to find versions with "Tachymetre" and cities (world-time) on the external bezels. Maybe the customers had a choice between the two configurations.

Measurements:

Width w/o crown: 42,1 mm
Width with crown: ? mm
Length: 47,1 mm
Depth: 14 mm
Lugs: 21,8 mm

Mortima SuperDatomatic with hexagonal watch case.
Original configuration with same dial and bezels as in the ad.

Mortima SuperDatomatic hexagonal with tachymetre and world-time bezels.
No "Waterproof 100%" on the dial.

Mortima SuperDatomatic with red dot on the seconds hand. Original?

The backcase with the famous Mortima diver.

Mortima SuperDatomatic hexagonal seen from the side with the two crowns.

Mortima SuperDatomatic hexagonal on the wrist. Screams 1970s and has great presence.

The Square / Pilots watch

The dial typically reads: "Mortima, 17 Jewels, SuperDatomatic, Waterproof 100%".  Sometimes "Super 28" has replaced "17 Jewels".
There is also the "Commandant de Bord" version which reads: "Mortima, 17 Jewels, Waterproof 100%. Commandant de Bord".
The Mortima square has two external bezels - one with tachymeter and the outer with cities for a world time-function. "Commandant de Bord" means "flight captain" which fits with the bezel.

This model has two crowns placed in the upper right and lower right corners of the watch. The upper crown controls the internal bezel.

Measurements (taken from different sources):

Width w/o crown: 42,5-43 mm
Width with crown: 42,5-43 mm
Length: 42,5-43 mm
Depth: 12,5 mm
Lugs: ? mm

Mortima SuperDatomatic square pilot.
The dot on the seconds hand is red here. Usually it is green so maybe it has been replaced at some point?

Mortima square pilot - the Commandant de Bord version.

Mortima square pilot - with "Super Calendar" on the dial. Seems legit.

Mortima SuperDatomatic square pilot from one side.

Mortima SuperDatomatic square pilot from the other side.

Mortima SuperDatomatic square pilot, backcase with the diver.

Mortima SuperDatomatic square pilot, wrist shot.
Note that here the crystal is missing the cyclop and is not original.

The Circle / Mortima UFO

The shape of this case is a circle cut off in top and bottom. 

The dial typically reads: "Mortima, 21 Jewels, SuperDatomatic, Waterproof 100%". Some models has "Super 28" instead of "21 Jewels" on the dial. On some "Waterproof 100%" has been left out.

It has two crowns - super compressor-style. The crown at 2 controls the internal bezel.

There is one external bezel with tachymeter scale. There seems to have been two different layouts on the bezels - one has a larger font.

Measurements (taken from different sources):

Width w/o crown: 45 mm
Width with crown: ? mm
Length: 42-43 mm
Depth: 13 mm
Lugs: 19 mm

Mortima SuperDatomatic round case with blue dial.

Mortima SuperDatomatic round case, SUPER 28 on the black dial.

Mortima SuperDatomatic round case with large font on the external bezel.

Mortima SuperDatomatic round, seen from the side.

Mortima SuperDatomatic round, backcase with the diver.

The Oval Pepsi

The dial reads: "Mortima, 17 Jewels, SuperDatomatic, Waterproof 100%".
It has a red-blue day-night Pepsi bezel. This external bezel with 24h markings can be used to indicate an alternate timezone - sometimes called a poor-mans GMT. Very practical and aesthically pleasing. 
The case is wider than it is long. It has one crown and the internal bezel with 24h reading is fixed. 

Measurements (taken from different sources):

Width w/o crown: 43,5 mm
Width with crown: 44 mm
Length: ? mm
Depth: ? mm
Lugs: 20 mm

Mortima SuperDatomatic oval shaped, pepsi-dial.

Mortima SuperDatomatic oval pepsi.

Mortima SuperDatomatic oval pepsi, seen from the top.

Mortima SuperDatomatic oval pepsi, back of case with the diver.

Mortima SuperDatomatic oval pepsi on the wrist.
The crystal on this watch is missing the cyclop and is probably not original.

Mortima SuperDatomatic oval pepsi, another wristshot.

The chunky cushion

The dial reads: "Mortima, 21 Jewels, SuperDatomatic, Waterproof 100%". There is also versions that says "Mortima, 17 Jewels, SuperDatomatic, Waterproof 100%, Etanche 100%". "Etanche" is french for "waterproof". Though one says "21 Jewels" and the other "17 Jewels" - it is the same movement. As 17Jewels.info tells the extra 4 useless jewels were put on the plate just to increase the number.

The shape of this model is difficult to describe - it's like a square, but rounded in the sides and the top and bottom. This is a classic watch shape commonly known as a cushion. But the Mortima version has hidden lugs.
The chunky cushion has two internal bezels that are operated with the upper and lower of the three crowns.
As can be seen from this list many variations in dials, bezels etc. were made for different brands. But it seems that the Mortima-branded watches were very consistent: I have only seen watches with the red internal bezel in racing-style.

Measurements:

Width w/o crown: 43,7 mm
Width with crown: 46,5 mm
Length: 43,7 mm
Depth: ? mm
Lugs: 21,8 mm

Mortima SuperDatomatic with the cushion-shaped case and the standard dial, hands and two internal bezels.

Same Mortima but with "17 Jewels" and "Etanche 100%" on the dial.

Mortima SuperDatomatic with cushion-shaped case - seen from the side with the characteristic magnifying glass over the date.

The Round Pepsi
- work in progress -

Note: There is to be two almost identical models, but they differ in size. This watch is only 40 mm wide. The crowns seems to be recessed in the watch case on this model. Should not be mistaken for the larger version.

The Thermo-Compass
And now for something completely different. But also with a large watch case: The Mortima Mayerling 17 Jewels with three dials showing time, temperature and a compass. Not a diver. Mortima used "Mayerling" on some of their dress-watches. It is not beautiful but it is very unique.

Measurements (taken from different sources):
Width w/o crown: 45 mm
Width with crown: 48 mm

Length: 40 mm
Depth: 11 mm
Lugs: 22 mm

Mortima Thermo-Compass in silver with blue dial.

Mortima Thermo-Compass in silver with blue dial. Themo-dial with red in bottom.

Mortima Thermo-Compass back case.

Mortima Thermo-Compass in silver with blue dial on the wrist.

Mortima Thermo-Compass in silver with silver dial.

Mortima Thermo-Compass in silver and with a red dial.

Mortima Thermo-Compass was also made in a version with a golden case.

Source. Source.

Please let me know if you have some corrections or input to this list.

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The history of the Mortima watch brand

Mortima is together with Sicura one of the most important brands if you are interested in every man’s and affordable watches from the 1960s and 1970s. Mortima was a french brand from company ”Cattin & Cie” in Morteau. The city of Morteau is located in east France very near the Swiss border and the famous watch valley La Chaux-de-Fonds. Morteau itself has a rich history of watchmaking dating back to 1750 and today is home to a watch museum. The name ”Mortima” was probably inspired by the city name ”Morteau” and the english word ”time”.

Mortima watch logo from a 1970s SuperDatomatic

Like Ernest Schneider for Sicura one person is key in the history of Mortima: Césaire Émile Cattin. Émile Cattin was born in Morteau in 1904 and was only 25 years old when he founded his watch company ”Cattin & Cie”.

Read these interesting articles and see the pictures from magazine ”c’est à dire” telling the story about Émile Cattin and Mortima.

Click here to find an article about the renowned Mortima SuperDatomatic dive watches, all 42 mm or larger.

Below you can find some additional information about Mortima.

Mortima anno 1957
This vintage ad from Cattin & Cie tells that the company was founded in 1929 (not in 1926 as you frequently will find on the net). Judging from the visual style the ad is from the early 1950s. At this point Cattin & Cie. was not yet promoting the Mortima brand.

Early 1950s ad from Cattin & Cie. No mention of Mortima.

This source says that the name Mortima was registered circa 1957. And then this ad from 1958 is the first to mention Mortima.

Mortima watch ad from 1958.

Mortima watch ad from 1960.

Inhouse movements
An important reason for the success of Mortima was that Cattin & Cie produced their own movements. A nice list of the movements can be found here. In fact Cattin & Cie were one of the few watch companies that could produce almost everything inhouse, movements, watch cases and dials and assemble the watches – enabling them to keep production costs and prices very low. From app. 1980 Cattin & Cie also produced quartz movements.

Front and back of a catalog from the beginning of the 1980s with Mortima quartz watches.

Even though Mortima watches was very cheap an impressive number of watches has survived and can still be found today working perfectly. Emile Cattin must have done something right.

The famous diver on the backcase
The Mortima waterproof watches could be recognized by the iconic diver engraved on the backcase. This image can be found on watches from many, many different brands. Cattin & Cie was very popular as a subcontractor, They produced watches according to the clients wishes. Sometimes it was just a matter of rebranding existing Mortima models. In the 1970s, as can be seen from this list, watch cases, dials, bezels and movements from different producers were mixed and matched in endless variations.

Mortima's diver can be found on the back case of watches from many different brands.

Several Cattin’s in the watch industry
Please note. The french company ”Cattin & Cie” should NOT be confused with ”Cattin + Cie SA”. They are not in any way connected. This Swiss company is still active and makes private label watches. To add to the confusion there was also at one point another watchmaker called ”Emile Cattin”, but located in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

This ad from 1902 is not from the same Emile Cattin that later produced Mortima watches. 

The end
Probably because Mortima in time produced a quartz movement they survived the crisis in the 1970s that was the end for many other low-end brands. But Emile Cattin died in 1979. And in 1988 the company and the brand Mortima were sold to Kiplè, also located in Morteau. Kiplè had also taken over the watch brand LIP in 1984. In 1990 Kiplè itself went bankrupt and closed. Today the name Mortima is registered by a spanish company selling sunglasses. Strangely enough they even use Mortima’s Gallic rooster in the logo ;-)

The factory buildings still exists
The buildings that housed Hotel des Terrasses and Emile Cattin's first watch workshop is rather worn-down now. Judging from the few old photographs the workshop probably was in the buildings to the right of the hotel.

Emile Cattin's Hotel des Terrasses and first watch workshop in Morteau as seen in 2010. Source.

The factory that Emile Cattin build in 1962 still exists and now houses different companies. As an honour to the past it is called ”Centre d’Activités Emile Cattin”.

Mortima's old factory in Morteau as seen in 2013. Source. 

Sources
http://largevintagewatches.blogspot.dk/2017/09/articles-about-mortima-morteau-and.html
https://watch-wiki.org/index.php?title=Cattin,_C%C3%A9saire_%C3%89mile
https://watch-wiki.org/index.php?title=Cattin_%26_Cie._Morteau
http://mortima.wixsite.com/mortima-watches/full-history
http://www.musee-horlogerie.com/
http://www.chambresdebelair.net/mortima.html
http://forumamontres.forumactif.com/t34584p25-mortima-simili-mili
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip#cite_note-10

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