Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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Blancpain remembers and honours its dedication to the ocean with new iterations in the Fifty Fathoms series

It almost seemed predestined, the way two stories developed in parallel and then entwined to spark the Fifty Fathoms collection in 1953. On the one hand, there was Jean-Jacques Fiechter, then-CEO of watch manufacture Blancpain and avid diver. His deep passion for the sport kindled an inventive drive to address the challenges of timekeeping in the diving milieu.

Water resistance, obviously. A method to time dives, legible readings and safety mechanisms to ensure accuracy. Where there's a will - or a determined diver, apparently - there's a way, for Fiechter succeeded in developing solutions for each issue, some of them unique or first-of-their-kind propositions that warranted patents.

Jean-Jacques Fiechter, CEO of Blancpain from 1950 to 1980, during one of his first dive in the south of France (beginning of the 50's) ©Blancpain

 

These include a double sealed crown that prevented water from seeping into the watch if the crown were pulled out while diving; a rotating bezel with a locking mechanism to measure time underwater and prevent against accidental turning; and large proportions, a monochrome colour scheme and luminous hands and indexes for enhanced visibility in murky environments. Anti-magnetism and an infallible case back design further safeguarded and eased timekeeping operations when divers were occupied or had to be on high alert.

The same challenges were hampering the efforts of the French combat diving corps, who were seeking a watch trustworthy enough to execute military diving missions. The Swiss-based Blancpain was not within their sights when they were developing a list of strict criteria required for a fool-proof instrument and testing selections brought forth by other manufactures. The going was disastrous; the watches were petite, difficult to read underwater and, in catastrophic situations, leaked badly. Fiechter soon heard of their challenge and provided a watch for them to try. It whizzed through the tests effortlessly and became the blueprint of diving watches forevermore.

The range was named Fifty Fathoms after Ariel's song from Shakespeare's The Tempest: "Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made." Fiechter amended the number five to fifty to conjure the image of a deep dive, as fifty fathoms was thought the maximum depth a diver could achieve in the early days of scuba diving.

Over half a century has passed since and Fifty Fathoms remains the gold standard for diving instruments. Its rapport with the ocean strengthened into an intimate, inextricable bond. To give back the immense joy and wonder the deep blue had bestowed upon those audacious enough to venture into its depths, the Swiss watchmaker initiated its ocean preservation campaign, investing substantially in the world's most precious resource with the Blancpain Ocean Commitment. Working closely alongside leading scientists, explorers, environmentalists and photographers, it supports vital initiatives aimed and increases public awareness and understanding of the cause.

Watches continue to act as canvases to express Blancpain's pledge towards and love for the ocean. Complications have successfully been introduced into the Fifty Fathoms, requiring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to pull off.

Fifty Fathoms Grande Date

 

The new Fifty Fathoms Grande Date is one such example, with its signature instant-change large date complication displayed across two windows at 6 o'clock and adjustable via the crown. The in-house Calibre 1315, equipped with three mainspring barrels for five-day autonomy, advances the date change instantly at midnight without consuming excess energy from the running train. This efficacy is wrapped in a 45mm satin-finished titanium case, fitted with a domed sapphire bezel and sail-canvas or NATO strap.

 

Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe

 

Topping the league of sophisticated instruments is the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Day Date 70s, a 500-piece limited edition timepiece that harks at the design codes of its 1970s predecessors. Bold dial markings with Arabic numerals and windows for the day and date at 3 o'clock revive that aesthetic, along with a subtle graduated grey colouring that segues from dark to light towards the middle of the large dial. Readability of the 43mm model is further enhanced with a ceramic insert within the unidirectional bezel featuring indexes filled with Liquidmetal. Securing this around wrists are straps from vintage-style antiqued leather, sail-canvas or NATO, or a steel bracelet.

Blancpain Ocean Commitment III

 

Finally, in an explicit expression of its devotion to the ocean, the manufacture released the third iteration of its Blancpain Ocean Commitment series. The Fifty Fathoms Ocean Commitment III draws from the original 1953 model characteristics such as the robust, reliable self-winding Calibre 1151. Upgrades include an anti-magnetic silicon hairspring where an inner soft iron case used to do the job, a scratch-resistant sapphire ring atop the unidirectional rotating bezel, and water resistance to 300m. Restricted to just 250 individually-numbered pieces, every purchase of the 40mm steel timepiece sees EUR1,000 donated to the cause.

 

Owners will also receive a hand-numbered copy of the Edition Fifty Fathoms book, whose 10th anniversary edition is composed of black and white underwater photographs bound with removable screws to enable the removal of favourite pictures for framing, as well as membership into the Blancpain Ocean Commitment circle with access to exclusive invitations to private BOC events and related conferences. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

 

Collection of Fifty Fathoms 2018

Fifty Fathoms Grande Date

Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe

Blancpain Ocean Commitment III

For more info, visit www.blancpain.com

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