Blancpain commemorates the Fifty Fathoms’ 70th year with three new dive watches

JEAN-Jacques Fiechter, chief executive officer of Blancpain from 1950 to 1980 and an avid diver, realised the need for a reliable, readable and water-resistant underwater tool when he ran out of air during a dive off the coast of Cannes.

His vision ultimately led to the creation of the world’s first modern diving timepiece in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms. Named after Ariel’s song from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the revolutionary watch was quickly adopted by many of the world’s elite marine corps. 

The key signature elements of the Fifty Fathoms have since set the benchmark for dive timepieces. These include a robust doubled-sealed crown; self-winding movement; contrasting dark dial with luminescent indications; unidirectional rotating bezel; anti-magnetic protection; and a watertight case – all the essential features of an indispensable dive instrument. 

Now, 70 years after the debut of the first Fifty Fathoms and two decades after the launch of the contemporary 50th anniversary edition, Blancpain has embarked on a year of celebrations with a series of three tribute models. 

Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 (S$24,300)

The Fifty Fathoms didn’t evolve between the 1980s and 2000s. It wasn’t until 2003, when Marc Hayek, Blancpain’s newly appointed CEO, rehashed the then dormant watch. The result was the limited edition 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms, the model’s first contemporary version, comprising three series of 50 watches each.

Hayek’s version retained the aesthetic codes of the 1953 timepiece, such as its distinctive black dial bearing oversized numerals and markings. Updates to the model included a case that was water-resistant to 300 m, instead of 50 fathoms (nearly 91 m). Its self-winding movement had an improved power reserve of four days, while the 1950s epoxy bezel inlay was replaced by a scratch-proof domed sapphire insert. 

A nod to the 2003 model, the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 kicked off the celebrations early this year. Each of the three series of 70 watches was released across three regions – Europe, Middle East and Africa; the Asia-Pacific; and the Americas – and bear a number from I to III at 6 o’clock on the dial.

Its black sunburst dial features vintage-look luminescent hands and block-type hour-markers. Topped with the signature unidirectional bezel and a domed sapphire inlay, the polished steel case measures 42.3 mm, an exclusive size that’s smaller than the standard 45-mm models and a tad larger than the 40-mm limited editions.

The new model is powered by the self-winding manufacture Calibre 1315. Its three-barrel construction provides a five-day power reserve. Visible through a transparent case-back is the oscillating weight with an engraving of the Fifty Fathoms 70th logo. It is also made of platinum, a material symbolic of eternity and associated with 70th wedding anniversaries in Switzerland.

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In another ode to the first Fifty Fathoms, the component features an opening, a technical trick used in the 1950s to increase the rotor’s suppleness and improve its shock resistance. The watch is fitted with a black Nato strap made of 100 per cent recycled and entirely recyclable thread from fishing nets recovered from the sea. 

Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 2 – Tech Gombessa (S$39,300)

Blancpain launched the Tech Gombessa for technical divers for its second edition.

Co-developed by Hayek and Laurent Ballesta, founder of Gombessa Expeditions – which studies rare, elusive marine creatures and underwater phenomena – the watch features a patented innovation that allows divers to measure up to three-hour immersion times.

Its release also commemorates the 10th anniversary of Gombessa, in which Blancpain is a founding partner; it also marks the launch of Fifty Fathoms Tech, a new watch line dedicated to technical diving. 

The 47 mm watch bezel has a three-hour scale, which is linked to a special hand that completes one full turn in three hours for long-duration deep dives.

Contrasting against an absolute black dial in low light are bezel markers featuring a white luminescent coating that emits a green glow to match the colour of the dive-time hand, while the orange hour-markers emit a blue glow. The hour and minute hands echo these colours to differentiate between time-related information and dive-time data.

Other highlights are the lightweight Grade 23 titanium case with a helium escape valve; spherical sapphire crystal; central lugs attached from the inside of the case middle that also integrate the rubber strap; and a new self-winding movement 13P8 with a five-day power reserve.

Stamped with the Gombessa Expeditions logo, the anthracite-coloured oscillating weight features an innovative shape with three large openings through which one can admire the movement.

The watch comes in a water- and shock-resistant Peli box, which includes a rest for the watch, strap extension, travel pouch, magnifying glass, as well as a set of dividers and cutting tools that allow the owner to configure the case for future use. 

Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 (S$44,800)

In 1957, a moisture indicator was added to the Fifty Fathoms at the behest of the US Navy. This safety feature assured its wearer that the German silver watch had not been damaged on a prior mission. The third and final model to bookend the year-long anniversary celebration pays tribute to that very Mil-Spec dive model. 

Not only does the variant feature the trademark moisture indicator, it is reinterpreted in an unexpected yet contemporary 9-karat bronze gold – a patented alloy of gold, copper, silver, palladium and gallium that retains its lustrous patina longer than conventional bronze.

Powered by the 1154.P2 movement with a 100-hour power reserve, the watch is water-resistant to 300 m and has the same 41.3 mm diameter as its predecessor. 

Its matte black dial sports the vintage Super-LumiNova-enhanced moisture indicator and hour-markers; unidirectional rotating bezel with black ceramic insert featuring a vintage Super-LumiNova diving scale; as well as the two-tone Nato strap, bearing the colour code of the original timepiece that’s made from fishing nets recovered from the sea. 

Unlike the original version, where its movement was encased in a soft iron cage to ensure resistance to magnetism, the heart of this watch can be seen through a sapphire crystal case-back, thanks to the use of a non-magnetic spiral. The open case-back reveals bridges enhanced by 1950s-inspired decoration, while the oscillating weight boasts a geometry inspired by the historical rotor and the inscription Blancpain Fifty Fathoms in vintage logotype.

The 555-piece limited edition watch is presented in a box inspired by a vintage camera housing.