nfluenced by the vintage trend that has taken hold these past years, case sizes are adopting more moderate proportions – including for dive watches which are traditionally larger, because of their technical specifications. The success of the limited-edition Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1, released last year in a downsized 42mm diameter, has convinced Blancpain to bring this new size (42.3mm to be precise) into the current collection, with a contemporary automatic movement cased in red gold or titanium.

Having helped establish the fundamental technical and aesthetic codes of the modern dive watch, in 2007 – four years after newly appointed President & CEO Marc A. Hayek put this legend back in centre-stage – the Fifty Fathoms returned, primed for the twenty-first century with a specially developed automatic movement in a 45mm case. This same high-performance Calibre 1315 equipped the 42mm version from 2023 and powers the models that Blancpain is introducing this year.

The robust and accurate Calibre 1315 is designed, built, produced, assembled and adjusted in-house. Three series-coupled barrels deliver a substantial and constant power reserve of 120 hours or five days. The balance spring is in anti-magnetic silicon. A stop-seconds function means the time can be precisely adjusted to the nearest second. Decoration is in keeping with Haute Horlogerie tradition, including on the 18K red gold oscillating weight which is NAC coated and whose design is inspired by the rotor of the historical 1953 timepiece.

Blancpain offers a choice of two versions, each with a distinct personality: the elegance and sophistication of 18K red gold, or grade 23 titanium for a sporty look. This extremely pure titanium alloy is, of course, light in weight as well as highly resistant to scratches and corrosion – not forgetting its anti-allergenic properties. The collection’s characteristic sapphire bezel insert is a further guarantee of solidity as well as ensuring impeccable legibility: a reminder of the Fifty Fathoms’ origins as a professional tool watch. Oversized luminescent indices and markings contrast with the clean, dark-coloured dial.

As well as the choice of case material, there are blue and black dial options, in addition to a range of straps (in matching colours), from sail canvas to NATO along with a Tropic textured rubber strap inspired by the 1953 model. A titanium bracelet rounds off the selection for the titanium case version. Enough for multiple and varied combinations in this eagerly awaited diameter. Launched in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms was created by a diver to meet the needs of underwater exploration. It was chosen by diving pioneers and by combat diver units around the world as a professional timekeeping instrument. With its water-resistance, robust double-sealed crown, automatic movement, contrasting dark dial with luminescent indications, lockable rotating bezel and anti-magnetic protection, the Fifty Fathoms has become an indispensable instrument for divers on their underwater missions.

These signature elements established the Fifty Fathoms as the archetypal dive watch and served as a blueprint for future dive watches. It has enabled divers across the globe to truly explore the underwater world and, in doing so, has forged a bond between Blancpain and the ocean community. These ties have grown stronger at the initiative of Marc A. Hayek, himself an experienced diver, and are especially evident in the Blancpain Ocean Commitment programme for ocean conservation. Among the projects that benefit from Blancpain’s support are Laurent Ballesta’s Gombessa expeditions. In fact, this article is illustrated with photographs from these expeditions. The Fifty Fathoms is in its element.

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