Watch aficionados universally regard the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms as one of the industry’s first capable wrist-worn dive tools. Is it still just as popular today?
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Watch has been around for some time. The watchmaker released it back in 1853, a pivotal time in dive watch history. Several other brands were chomping at the bit to produce the ultimate waterproof wristwatch, but Blancpain nailed it.
Let’s dive into the world’s first modern dive watch and discover what’s so special about its design.
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About Blancpain
It is true that entry-level watches made by prestigious brands can take a lot of work to acquire. That’s usually because these watches are in high demand.
If a brand is underrated, its watches are readily available. And that’s the case for luxury watchmaker Blancpain.
Blancpain is one of the most recognizable names. It’s also one of the oldest watch brands, but it’s not the first that springs to mind when discussing the horological climate.
Watchmakers like Audemars Piguet, Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, and Patek Philippe tend to get a mention first. Some of these brands make watches with substantial waiting lists and extortionate price tags.
When we get further down the list, we talk about Blancpain. The brand’s masterpieces promise quality materials and a sturdy build. Some can also be pretty affordable, depending on their features.
On the other hand, we have Blancpain watches that are complex and have intricate movements, and they are more expensive. Some watch enthusiasts can be quite critical of the brand. A few describe Blancpain as a “zombie brand” and accuse it of not making its own movements.
It’s true that consumer demand for Blancpain designs fluctuates. However, the brand’s movement maker has been part of the company since 2010 — the same as Rolex. The Crown brand purchased the movement manufacturer of its watches in 2003.
Today, Blancpain offers everything from complex mechanical movements (no quartz) to simple, affordable three-handers. But its most popular watch has to be the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.
The History of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Watch
At the time of the Fifty Fathoms release, Rolex had already produced the waterproof Oyster (1926). Panerai had made the highly luminous Radiomir, too. And the double O-ring gasket in the Omega Seamaster from 1948 was already proving effective.
Still, a mission-ready diving instrument for combat divers didn’t exist. Captain Robert Maloubier approached Blancpain with a spec list for this design, and Blancpain said, “OK”.
The result was a 42mm case that was water resistant to 91.45 meters — in other words, fifty fathoms!
Fifty Fathoms was, at the time, the depth considered safe for a scuba diver. What made the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch so special was its ability to function correctly under these depths.
It featured an anti-magnetic case and a patented crown with a double seal design. The watch also had a new innovative bezel-locking feature. Its unidirectional rotating bezel was a ground-breaking revelation. As such, many leading watch brands adopt it today.
Before long, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch was popular with military units worldwide. A few years later, it featured on the wrist of Jacques Cousteau in his documentary “The Silent World.”
Since the Fifty Fathoms
Since then, the watch has branched into many variations, including the Bathyscaphe sub-family. But in the 1980s, production of this popular watch ceased.
Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet acquired the company in 1982 before Swatch Group took over in 1997. Through it all, the Fifty Fathoms only re-emerged once as an improved 300-meter water-resistant version.
Since 2000
In 2003, a 50th-anniversary version of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms arrived. It came complete with a sapphire glass top and bezel insert.
In 2008, three more designs arrived in significant 45mm cases featuring new complications. The Fifty Fathoms Automatique became the company’s flagship design. Meanwhile, the Fifty Fathoms Chronograph Flyback enabled the wearer to activate stopwatch timings underwater without risk of water damage.
Lastly, the Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon featured the brand’s first-ever sapphire exhibition caseback.
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Watch
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe was the generation that launched after 2013. It took its name from August Piccard’s innovative submersible. It tapped into a niche audience of collectors with an affection for vintage dive watches and featured several noteworthy characteristics.
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe is a Neo-Vintage watch. This category of watches combines original features with new-age design technology, and they’re no more than 35 years old. Neo-vintage watches came onto the scene around 2013.
Firstly, the 43mm watch featured a Liquidmetal bezel and guaranteed a power reserve of 120 hours.
It also featured straight baton hour markers as hands and a date window at 4.30. The watch became a popular true-to-form classic and remained so, taking inspiration from the 1950s.
Blancpain released the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe in a 43mm charcoal grey dial and a 38mm lady’s white dial version.
The Swatch Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Watch
You’ll be aware of last year’s collaboration if you follow Blancpain and its iconic Fifty Fathoms collection. Following the Omega x Swatch Moonswatch in 2022, Swatch Group teamed with Blancpain the year after.
The concept, based on affordability (just like the Omega collaboration), aimed to make diving watches accessible to the community.
The Design
The Swatch Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch carries the same dial layout and bezel as the FF. It also promises the same 90-meter water resistance. However, it boasts a Bioceramic 42.3mm case fitted on a vibrant NATO strap.
Anyone remotely into watches would agree it’s a far cry from the original Fifty Fathoms DNA.
The Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms watches are bold expressions of colorful, inexpensive versions of the original. The Pacific variation, for example, is black and yellow, while the blue Atlantic and green Indian versions are equally attention-demanding.
Tepid Response
Despite the anticipated hype for the Blancpain x Swatch Fifty Fathoms watches, many enthusiasts felt it was an underwhelming release.
This may have something to do with the decline of the luxury watch market over recent years. Since the pandemic, watch brands have felt resistance to new releases and overall watch market fatigue.
While experts remain hopeful that the climate will pick up again, it does make releases like this one difficult to get off the ground. Collectors love the Fifty Fathoms watch for its premium, authentic design. Yes, they are expensive, but this demographic is happy to spend their money on such a pedigree.
The Design Ruffles Feathers
Maybe the Blancpain x Swatch collaboration messed with the design too much. Maybe, for its lack of innovation, it deserves to sit in the shadows of the more successful Moonswatch after all.
A typical Omega watch collector is not the same person who buys dive watches from Blancpain. The Swatch version of the Fifty Fathoms may have ruffled the feathers of the typical Blancpain collector.
Still, there are lessons a brand can learn here. The phrase “Don’t fix what’s not broken” springs to mind.
The Takeaway — It Was a Groundbreaking Watch
Over the years, there have even been many fascinating versions of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch. Some of these include the Fifty Fathoms X Fathoms in titanium and the earlier Fifty Fathoms “500 Fathoms.” Also, the “Grande Date” and the “No-Rad” limited edition.
What remains important is that collectors still enjoy the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms for all its original qualities. They include a unidirectional rotating bezel, a luminous, legible dial, and impressive water resistance, to mention but a few.
It remains one of the most confounding dive watches on the market, with an interesting backstory that adds to its charm.
Do you own one of these collectible dive watches? Let me know what you love about it most in the comments below.
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