The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms wants no introduction to anybody who has ever dipped no less than a toe within the history of dive watches as it’s extensively thought to be the “first true diver’s watch.” 2023 is all concerning the Fifty Fathoms celebrations for Blancpain, and immediately marks the debut of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Seventieth Anniversary Act 3 watch, the third version created particularly for the Seventieth birthday of this unquestionably vital assortment.
Captain Robert Maloubier carrying an early Fifty Fathoms.
Remember to learn the article we linked to only above, and particularly its second web page, to familiarize your self with the historical past of dive watches and the way the Fifty Fathoms turned an vital software in its area by a collaboration between Blancpain and a French elite divers unit known as “nageurs de fight,” led by Robert Maloubier. Whereas the possibilities of such a purpose-driven merchandise changing into a cult basic are moderately excessive, few of these early pioneers have lasted 70 years — a lot to our pleasure and leisure, the Fifty Fathoms continues to be with us.
The primary Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, an early pioneer {of professional} and navy use dive watches. Circa 1953.
We’re trying on the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Seventieth Anniversary Act 3 watch in additional element in only a second, however first, we should always reiterate how the unique Fifty Fathoms, together with the Rolex Submariner, opened a brand new world of prospects in what was nonetheless a moderately primary stage of dive timing. The Fifty Fathoms included a self-winding motion to scale back the wear and tear on the parts of the screw-down crown by lowering the variety of occasions the crown had for use to revive or rewind the watch; a steady seconds hand to point that the watch continues to be in operation; massive luminous hour markers, fingers, and bezel markers; a timing bezel; anti-magnetic properties (required as magnetism is current on this planet of diving); and correct water resistance all the way down to a depth of 91.45 meters — which is, you guessed it, 50 fathoms. In essence, the unique Blancpain Fifty Fathoms preceded (and helped define) the fashionable ISO 6425 customary by some 40 years, the very customary that defines the traits of the fashionable dive watch.
The all-new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Seventieth Anniversary Act 3 (reference 5901-5630-NANA) is a heavy hitter regardless of its average dimension. At 41.3mm large (just like the historic MIL-SPEC Fifty Fathoms) and 13.3mm thick, it’s going to be an entire lot extra comfy and certainly extra proportionate than the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa (reviewed here) that debuted as “Act 2” within the Seventieth-anniversary celebrations. So what makes it a heavy-hitter, then? Whereas there isn’t a official phrase on weight, you possibly can count on “Act 3” to return with severe heft as it’s crafted from 9k Bronze Gold, a patented alloy that’s 50% copper permitting it to be known as “bronze,” enriched with 37.5% gold permitting for the 9k hallmark, with a pinch of silver, palladium and gallium. That’s the jab, and right here comes the cross: Regardless of the resurgence of bronze (not Bronze Gold, simply bronze) in dive watches lately, the worth doesn’t replicate the heavy reliance on copper — the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Seventieth Anniversary Act 3 prices $32,000. For that form of cash, a watch on a woven strap arguably ought to be extra gold than it’s copper, however possibly that’s simply us.
Safeguarded by some 164 fathoms of rated water resistance (that’s 300 meters) is the Blancpain 1154.P2 caliber, a no-date model of the 1151. Once more, the generously sized sapphire crystal caseback reveals a considerably underwhelming image: The 1154.P2 doesn’t provide an excessive amount of in the best way of eye sweet, which is odd provided that whereas this technically is a software watch, it does come at a extremely luxurious value. The self-winding rotor is in strong 18k gold, which is sweet, and there are a couple of strips of shiny anglage and polished screw heads, however, for probably the most half, the 1154 leans moderately closely on a “technical” aesthetic. Spec-wise it’s impressively skinny at simply 3.55mm thick and but it gives an prolonged 100-hour energy reserve, though that’s achieved, no less than partially, at the price of diminished working frequency, down from the extra trendy 4Hz to 3Hz. It’s fascinating to know that “for the primary time, Blancpain is providing a 1000-gauss model of its motion, due to using [Bronze Gold] coupled with unique alloys for the escapement.” Sounds cool till you keep in mind that sister-brand Omega gives 15,000 Gauss dive watches for a fraction of the price, even in 9k Bronze Gold.
The black dial options the grey-white moisture indicator that was developed within the Fifties by Jean-Jacques Fiechter, the co-CEO of Blancpain who was an avid diver himself and who performed a key function within the creation of the primary Fifty Fathoms. Other than having one thing irresistibly and intuitively cool about it, the moisture indicator can be helpful as a result of it adjustments shade and therefore tells the wearer that water or moisture has by some means entered the watch. Water inside watches is unhealthy, and salt water is even worse, provided that the early Fifty Fathoms watches had no see-through casebacks however had been subjected to heavy use by varied navy diving models, divers needed to be made conscious that the motion they had been counting on was being eaten away by moisture and rust.
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is an absolute icon of the world of wristwatches (even when new research you’ll in all probability need to learn from Perezcope appears to counsel it might need debuted not in 1953, however later) and it deserves each second of celebration it receives — arguably together with the new Swatch version that may hopefully direct the larger public’s consideration at this notable watch that has confirmed its price and significance underneath a terrific {many professional} and navy makes use of. That stated, as good-looking as it’s, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Seventieth Anniversary Act 3 watch is moderately ambitiously priced at $32,000, restricted to 555 individually numbered items. You can learn more at the brand’s website.
