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Blancpain celebrates the 70th anniversary of the
Fifty Fathoms — the world’s first modern diver’s
watch — this year. We dig into the story behind
this icon and the new pieces that salute it
Blancpain, the renowned Swiss watchmaker established in 1735 in Villeret, Switzerland,
possesses an unexpected reputation as a superstar in the realm of diving watches.
For most of its illustrious history, Blancpain was primarily dedicated to crafting intricate
complications and exquisitely finished timepieces. Then, in the 20th century, the
manufacture addressed several business challenges by moving into the uncharted territory
of tool watches.
Blancpain’s remarkable resilience has been evident throughout its history, enduring
various crises since the 18th century. Even when the founding family exited the business,
Betty Fiechter, a loyal employee, stepped in as a ready buyer in 1932, saving Blancpain’s
watchmaking legacy. The tale of the Fifty Fathoms truly begins with her nephew, Jean-Jacques Fiechter.
In 1950, Jean-Jacques assumed the role of Blancpain’s CEO, and he harboured a deep
passion for diving. In those days, recreational diving was in its infancy, with SCUBA
apparatus having only been introduced in 1943 by famed diver and marine biologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Diving was perilous and unpredictable, and Jean-Jacques learned this the
hard way. During a dive in the south of France, he found himself 50m below the
surface, dangerously low on air and without a watch to time his emergency ascent. He later
remarked that “passion makes one forget the time.” Thankfully, Jean-Jacques had another
passion — watchmaking. Recognising the need for a precise, reliable and robust dive watch,
he embarked on a mission to create the ideal timepiece.
The need for a precise,
reliable and robust dive
watch saw Blancpain’s
then CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter
embark on a mission
to create the ideal
timepiece.
Inventing a Necessity
Designing a simple yet life-saving dive watch from scratch was no small feat. Jean-Jacques had to pioneer concepts we now take for granted, adhering to strict ISO 6045 standards. One challenge was achieving water-resistance, an issue that was seemingly resolved by the 1950s. However, vulnerabilities persisted at key points in the wristwatch: The crown and the caseback. For the crown, Jean-Jacques introduced a double-sealed system, ensuring safety as long as the crown remained pushed in. For the caseback, he placed an ‘O’ ring gasket in a channel with its own metal ring to prevent twisting during assembly. He also developed a turning bezel with a locking mechanism to track dive times accurately. Blancpain received patents for these three innovations.Recognising the need for larger watch cases to optimise underwater legibility, Jean-Jacques chose a high-contrast white-on-black colour scheme with luminous hands for enhanced visibility. He also insisted on an automatic movement to reduce wear on the crown. These innovations laid the foundation for the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.
Simultaneously, in the world of military diving, Captain Robert ‘Bob’ Maloubier and Claude
Riffaud, both World War II veterans, were on a quest to create the perfect dive watch for
the French navy’s newly-formed French Forces Elite Diving Corp. Their sketches called for a
waterproof, self-winding, and highly legible watch, but their designs found no takers in the
watch industry. They ultimately found their partner in Jean-Jacques and Blancpain. To meet
the anti-magnetic requirement, Blancpain introduced a soft iron inner case to shield the
movement from magnetic fields.
RECOGNISING THE NEED FOR LARGER WATCH CASES
FOR UNDERWATER LEGIBILITY, JEAN-JACQUES
CHOSE A HIGH-CONTRAST WHITE-ON-BLACK
COLOUR SCHEME WITH LUMINOUS HANDS FOR
ENHANCED VISIBILITY.
In 1954, Jacques-Yves
Cousteau selected the
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms
for his dive team,
leading to the Academy
Award-winning film, The
Silent World, in 1957.
In 1954, Jacques-Yves Cousteau selected the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms for his dive team,
leading to the Academy Award-winning film, The Silent World, in 1957. This period marked
the convergence of the Fifty Fathoms as a professional tool, a recreational timepiece, and
a symbol of ocean conservation. It became the preferred choice for various armed forces,
including the Israeli, West German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Pakistani and American
(Navy SEALs) units.
While the Fifty Fathoms is no longer a military tool, it remains an integral part of the dive
watch legend. It also plays a significant role in ocean conservation through Blancpain’s Ocean
Commitment initiative, contributing to a 20 per cent increase in protected ocean regions.
This year’s celebrations highlight Blancpain’s commitment to ocean conservation and it
unfolds in three acts, each one featuring a new watch.
Act 1
Congratulations are in order if you managed to acquire one of the 70 pieces of the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Act 1 earmarked for the Asia-Pacific region. The 42.3mm Act 1 is not a mere reissue. It retains certain characteristics from the contemporary regular production model, including the engraved Blancpain logo on the left side of the case. The watch features a steel bezel with a domed sapphire crystal inlay over luminous markings and a lozenge at 12 o’clock. The crown guards, introduced in the 2003 edition, remain a prominent feature, along with other key elements that brought the Fifty Fathoms into the 21st century. Water-resistance remains at 300m.The black dial showcases a brushed sunray finish and vintage-style hands (an evolution of
the original sword hands), complemented by three-dimensional markers and Arabic numerals
adorned with cream-coloured SuperLuminova (the hands also feature the same luminous
material). The date window is positioned between the four and five o’clock positions.
The movement powering this watch is the automatic calibre 1315, as seen in the current Fifty
Fathoms Ref. 5015. It’s important to note that the standard finishing on calibre 1315 is already
exceptional, surpassing most other dive watches in its category.
The standard finishing
on calibre 1315 is
exceptional, surpassing
most other dive watches
in its category.
Act 2
The second installation of the 70th-anniversary celebration places conservation at the forefront with the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa watch. The name “Gombessa” comes from Gombessa Expeditions, an initiative spearheaded by marine biologist, photographer and diver Laurent Ballesta, supported by Blancpain since 2013. The name carries more than symbolic weight: The Tech Gombessa resulted from a collaborative effort between Blancpain and Ballesta. The “Tech” component of the name holds significance, introducing a count-up bezel with a three-hour display, a groundbreaking feature not seen in any dive watch.Much like the original Fifty Fathoms, which was designed to meet the needs of divers, the Tech
Gombessa serves a similar purpose, with Blancpain President and CEO Marc A. Hayek, an
accomplished diver himself, collaborating with Ballesta. Ballesta required a watch suitable for
his closed-circuit rebreather diving expeditions, which involve extended dives for hours at a
time, and that’s exactly what he received.
DIVER LAURENT BALLESTA REQUIRED A WATCH
SUITABLE FOR HIS CLOSED-CIRCUIT REBREATHER
DIVING EXPEDITIONS, WHICH INVOLVE EXTENDED
DIVES FOR HOURS AT A TIME, AND THAT’S EXACTLY
WHAT HE RECEIVED.
The Tech Gombessa incorporates a helium escape valve, resembling a second crown,
and introduces a new movement, the automatic calibre 13P8. The watch features a
unidirectional bezel with a three-hour scale, and what appears to be a GMT hand on the
dial is, in fact, a hand that completes one circuit in three hours, working in conjunction
with the 120-click bezel.
The Tech Gombessa is a substantial timepiece, measuring 47mm in diameter and 14.81mm
in thickness. However, Blancpain has made it more comfortable to wear, crafting the case
from grade 23 titanium and adopting central lugs attached from the inside of the case
middle. The black rubber strap, complete with an extension, is fully integrated, and the
bezel, constructed from black ceramic, extends slightly inward. As a watch designed to be
worn over a wet suit, the dimensions are appropriate. Fortunately, the Tech Gombessa is
not a limited edition.
The Tech Gombessa
incorporates a
helium escape valve,
resembling a second
crown, and introduces
a new movement, the
automatic calibre 13P8.
Act 3
The Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 was revealed in Cannes, France, which was where the original watch had its genesis. Appropriately, the Fifty Fathoms Act 3 watch is a time-only 41.3mm dive instrument without date; the dimensions of the watch correspond closely with the original specifications of the Fifty Fathoms model. A water-tightness indicator is positioned at six o’clock, just like the Mil-Spec (military specification) watches of the 1960s. While Act 3 does offer echoes of Mil-Spec Fifty Fathoms, it is also unlike any other Fifty Fathoms watch ever made. Everything, from case design and material to the movement, is new.
Visually, Act 3 reinforces vintage vibes, and uses bronze gold to do so. The gold in the
alloy makes up 37.5 per cent of the total material, with copper making up 50 per cent.
Silver, palladium and gallium make up the remainder. Blancpain has never used this
material before. Limited to just 555 pieces worldwide, getting one of these watches on
your wrist will be a challenge.
The goal was
to produce an
antimagnetic movement
that could withstand
1,000 Gauss without
the protection of a soft
iron inner case.
Another thing that sets Act 3 apart is the use of the new automatic calibre 1154.P2, which
features an escapement with silicon hairspring and new components in antimagnetic alloys.
It boasts a 100-hour power reserve. The goal was to produce an antimagnetic movement
that could withstand 1,000 Gauss without the protection of a soft iron inner case. Calibre
1154.P2 makes the grade, hence the presence of an exhibition caseback.
To round off this modern masterpiece, Blancpain has incorporated an eco-friendly element
in line with its conservation concerns. The strap is crafted from recycled fishing nets and
takes the form of a two-tone NATO strap with a pin buckle.
An anniversary celebration in three acts may seem extensive. However, considering the
Fifty Fathom’s significance to the history of dive watches and horology in general, nothing
less would have sufficed.
