Caravelle mask

[DaleC]

Just found this mask

Caravelle
Made in France

Bte S.G.D.G.

Anyone familiar with it and what SCDG stands for?

 

[duckbill]

It looks more like "SGDG" in the photo.

 

[DaleC]

Yes thanks, my mistake and corrected.
I found that Bte SGDG means something like "manufactured without a patent" in french and is a common mark on french goods. The Caravelle name comes up in relation to fins quite a bit but I can't find anything about maskes. The name also seems to be connected to the Aqualung brand.
?

 

[David Wilson]

"Bté SGDG" stands for "breveté sans garantie du gouvernement". There is a French wikipedia article about the term at

Sans garantie du gouvernement - Wikipédia

Here's a rough translation of the short article:

"Breveté SGDG" (Patented SGDG), abbreviation of "sans garantie du gouvernement" (without government guarantee), was in France a legal endorsement relieving the State of all responsibility for the good effective operation of the patented item.

This endorsement was established by the law of 1844 which states that patents are granted "without prior examination, at the risk of the applicant and without guarantee as to either the reality, novelty or merit of the invention or the fidelity or accuracy of the description." This endorsement disappeared in 1968.

So the mask design was patented, but the French government absolved itself of all responsibility in the event of malfunctioning etc. The fact that such endorsements were no longer made after 1968 might help you in dating the mask. As for the name "Caravelle", I agree that it's associated more with an early 1960s composite fin made from a natural rubber foot pocket and a plastic blade which may have heralded modern fin manufacturing practices but was a commercial failure in its time. My copy of an old La Spirotechnique catalogue - the French company associated with Cousteau - refers to Caravelle fins but not to a Caravelle mask. I can't find any reference to such a mask either on the US Divers page of the Skin Diving History site at

Skin Diving History - US Divers - Mfg & Retailers

which showcases gear from the 1950s.

 

[Slonda828]

Dale was it chromed (or did it look like it used to be)? If it is solid brass, it may have been military.

 

[DaleC]

No, it appears to be the opposite. The "brass" finish is roughed up in spots to reveal a chromelike finish underneath.

Has anyone ever tried to cement a new rubber gasket inside an older rubber mask? I have no idea if it would work but it looks like a way to create a workable seal and stop the old rubber from splitting.

 

[Slonda828]

Dale,

If you find a new style skirt that will fit the lense and band, you can just transplant them without using cement. The U channel shape of the skirt and the pressure of the band will keep it from leaking. None of my vintage masks have cement in them. If it's already begun to split, that skirt is shot. I learned that the hard way in the bahamas.