Blancpain is synonymous with robust and reliable diver's watches due to its adventurous leaders, who both pioneered and advanced this horological genre.
Former CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter defined the qualities of a timing instrument capable of taking the plunge, and introduced the Fifty Fathoms as an archetype in 1953.
Like Fiechter, current president and CEO Marc A Hayek is also an avid diver. In 2003, the 50th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms had Hayek diving with Robert Maloubier, a co-founder of the French Combat Swimmers unit, to introduce a commemorative timepiece in Thai seas. The daring underwater launch included a demonstration of changing the watch's strap.
Water-resistant to 300m, the 2019 editions of the Fifty Fathoms include a model that recalls the original collaboration between the Swiss watchmaker and the French navy.
They were unveiled in cosy ambience at The Farm, Blancpain's historic workshop for producing sophisticated complications, located in Le Brassus, Switzerland.
The world's oldest watch brand has been based in this village in the Vallée de Joux since 1859. Its watchmaking actually dates back even earlier, to 1735, when Jehan-Jacques Blancpain founded the company in Villeret, in the Bernese Jura.
In the early 1950s, Blancpain became a pioneer in the development of military and civilian diver's watches.
Marc A Hayek and Robert Maloubier during a dive to launch the 50th-anniversary model of Fifty Fathoms in Thailand.
Fiechter was working on a model ideal for scuba diving while Captain Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud were finding one suitable for the French Combat Swimmers unit's aquatic missions.
Fulfilling specific criteria set by the two parties, the military diver's watch was housed in a steel case with a soft iron inner cage that protected the automatic winding movement from the magnetic field. The unidirectional rotating bezel had timing markings, while broad luminescent hour-markers and hands contrasted with a black dial.
It was named Fifty Fathoms after the British measurement of 50 fathoms, or approximately 91.45m. At that time, it was considered the maximum depth that a diver could achieve with the oxygen then available.
Besides a compass and a depth metre, the Fifty Fathoms became an indispensable diving instrument for the French Combat Swimmers corps, to time dives so they would not run out of their oxygen supply.
This year, Blancpain pays tribute to the French naval force through the special Nageurs de Combat edition housed in a 45mm satin-brushed steel case, whose back bears an engraving of the Combat Diver Qualification Badge depicting a central anchor flanked by two winged seahorses.
Marc A. Hayek presenting the latest Fifty Fathoms timepieces at The Farm, Le Brassus.
The symbolic number 7 is discreetly displayed on the watch's face. As oxygen becomes toxic when its partial pressure reaches 1.7 bar, the maximum depth that commando frogmen can reach when using pure oxygen is 7m.
Like the original model, the traditional triangular mark is positioned at 12 o'clock, while the hands and hour-markers covered with luminescent material contrast with the matte-black dial.
The black unidirectional rotating bezel also highlights a luminescent timescale protected by a curved sapphire insert extremely resistant to shocks and scratches, introduced by Blancpain in 2003. A redesign element since 2007, a date window appears between 4 and 5 o'clock.
Available in 300 pieces, the Nageurs de Combat is equipped with the Caliber 1315 self-winding movement offering a five-day power reserve.
Fifty Fathoms' special Nageurs de Combat edition.
Other marine corps followed the French Navy in selecting Blancpain's tough timepieces for their divers. The German Bundesmarine was supplied with Fifty Fathoms models via Barakuda, a company specialising in the production and marketing of technical diving equipment.
Another limited edition of 500 pieces reinterprets the aesthetic codes of the Fifty Fathoms Barakuda from the late 1960s.
Along with military timepieces, Blancpain introduced civilian models to the German market. The design featured two-tone rectangular hour-markers, white painted fluorescent hands, and a date display at 3 o'clock. Some timepieces in the series were fitted with a durable tropical-type rubber strap that was very popular with divers at that time.
The date display returns to its original position, while a similar strap of the historical models lends a vintage feel to the 2019 version of the Fifty Fathoms Barakuda presented in a 40mm satin-brushed steel case.
Its black dial is punctuated by large red and white hour-markers coated with old radium type Super-LumiNova, while white-lacquered luminescent pencil-shaped hands indicate the time.
The original 1953 model of the Fifty Fathoms.
The vintage characteristics are complemented by the innovative scratch-resistant domed sapphire insert of the emblematic unidirectional bezel.
The Fifty Fathoms Barakuda is powered by Caliber 1151 self-winding movement, whose twin barrels are wound via a cut-out rotor, in reference to antique watches. This atypical geometry formerly served to enhance the suppleness of the oscillating weight in order to protect the movement from impact.
The ongoing development of Blancpain's iconic diver's watch include the use of tough materials for the case and dial.
Titanium is light on the wrist, which is an advantage for divers as well as anyone who would like to wear an oversized yet airy timepiece on a daily basis. Its low density renders the lightness of the case while other properties include high resistance to impact and corrosion.
Likewise, ceramic has exceptional qualities that render stability and longevity while being six times harder than steel.
The titanium version of the 45mm Fifty Fathoms Automatique boasts a sunburst black face while a luxurious red-gold rendition appeals with blue ceramic that gives a cobalt-like shimmer, as an alluring contrast between the sunburst dial centre and the matt chapter ring.
Both new models beat to the rhythm of Calibre 1315 with meticulous finishings, visible through the sapphire crystal caseback while providing a five-day power reserve.
New red gold Fifty Fathoms Automatique with a sunburst blue ceramic dial and red gold oscillating weight.
New Fifty Fathoms Automatique in a satin-brushed titanium case.
New red gold Fifty Fathoms Automatique with a ceramic face and red gold oscillating weight.
