![]() ![]() Retailed by LIP around 1955, the present timepiece is a real treasure for collectors seeking a historically important and conceptually modern tool watch in great overall condition. The watch combined cutting edge features such as an anti-magnetic and water-resistant case, a screw down caseback, a "double O-ring crown system", an automatic movement and a rotating bezel. Extremely robust and reliable, it was truly designed by military professionals, and was soon selected by other militaries around the world for their diving units, including the U.S. Through the last decades, the Fifty Fathoms has become a highly sought after and collectible mid-20th century watch. Fiechter named the watch after the greatest depth that a combat diver was believed able to withstand at the time, fifty fathoms or 91.45 meters. Maloubier found a champion for his project in Blancpain’s CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter - a passionate diver himself. The Fifty Fathoms collection embodies Blancpain’s passion for the underwater world that was originally expressed in 1953 with the presentation of the first modern diver’s watch. The head of this unit was Captain Bob Maloubier, who personally sketched out the watch that would one day be fully realized as the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. The timepiece was developed in association with the French Navy and their professional diver unit, the Service de Documentation Extérieure et de Contre-Espionnage. The Fifty Fathoms, which is only available in steel, retails for about a quarter more than the steel Bathyscaphe, and a fifth more than the titanium Bathyscaphe.įor a more detailed look at the Bathyscaphe, don’t forget to check out my photo essay.First released in 1953, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms was Blancpain's first commercially available modern dive watch. Overall the fit and finish of both watches is equivalent. 0 interest for 24 months available Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Watches First launched in 1953, this collection of modern diver’s watches has been inspired by Blancpain’s passion and admiration of the underwater world. In contrast the Bathyscaphe is more restrained. A watch collector in 1992 would only know vintage examples of the Fifty Fathoms. Thirty years ago, you would have thought that statement was crazy. With its size and appearance, the Fifty Fathoms looks like a luxury sports watch. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Titanium 43mm was released in the last quarter of 2021. 1315 movement inside, but the Bathyscaphe has a display back while the Fifty Fathoms has a solid back. In 1943 engineer Émile Gagnan and navy diver Jacques-Yves Cousteau invented the Aqua-Lung, a diving regulator supplying compressed air under variable pressure conditions. Because of its matte finish and bevelled lugs, the Bathyscaphe case appears slightly more refined.īoth watches have the same cal. Whereas the Bathyscaphe is mostly matte and subdued, the Fifty Fathoms is entirely glossy, an effect enhanced by the wide, domed and very shiny sapphire-covered bezel. ![]() And the Fifty Fathoms has the unsightly “Blancpain” logo embossed on its case side. In contrast the Fifty Fathoms feels like the 45 mm it is, with its entirely polished case finish. It is 2 mm smaller at 43 mm, though it feels slightly smaller, probably due to the brushed case finish. The Bathyscaphe is smaller, slimmer and more vintage-ish than the Fifty Fathoms. In fact the Bathyscaphe is also labelled “Fifty Fathoms” on the dial, indicating it’s provenance. There are ceramic cases, steel ones, and gold available, with only very slight differences in size. The 1315 in-house movement is one of Blancpain’s staples. The watch features a 40.3 mm stainless steel case equipped with a calibre 1151 self winding movement which is comprised of 210 components and 28 jewels with a. in diameter and has a rotatable, ribbed bezel with a bakelite insert and clear Arabic. ![]() Just launched at Baselworld 2013, the Blancpain Bathyscaphe joins the Fifty Fathoms dive watch in the brand’s sport watch line-up, which is also called the Fifty Fathoms. A straightforward dive watch with a date window at 4:30, this is a no-fuss diver that’s going to look perfect with a suit or jeans-n-tee. Regular models measure 45 mm, while the usual limited-edition Fifty Fathoms has a 40 mm case. The watch, which is powered by caliber AS 1700/1701, measures 42 mm. ![]()
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