- Building on the success of its global launch this past July, Blancpain have added three new variations of the ceramic Bathyscaphe to the Fifty Fathoms collection.
- These include a ‘daily driver’ (i.e. running seconds and a date window), plus a black-on-blue update of the Bathyscaphe chronograph.
- Our pick of the bunch is the sunburst green number — matched to the brand’s new integrated ceramic bracelet ($33,900).
After making its global debut in The Whitsundays earlier this year, Blancpain’s sub-range of ceramic Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe models is getting a much-needed expansion: including a duet of sunburst blue and green models that’ll turn wearers into Metal Gear Solid-esque operators.
When we first went hands-on with the initial batch of Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe ceramic releases, it felt conspicuous that the vast majority of what was on offer was complicated. Namely: flyback chronographs and annual calendars.
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The arrival of not one, but two new time-only Bathyscaphes in ceramic remedies this noticeable gap in the collection. So now, connoisseurs of the world’s first bona fide diver have a trio of ways to play (black, green, and blue).
These additions aren’t a dramatic pivot for a sub-collection that is, itself, less than six months old. But — to Blancpain’s credit — what watch lovers do get is two more 43.6mm evocations of the Bathyscaphe DNA. An elegant rendering of the classic lifestyle dive watch look, in the brand’s sintered hard-as-diamond ceramic.
And, in spite of the fact that representatives of the brand have gotten used to marketing this as the “robust, youthful… and contemporary” flipside to the signature Fifty Fathoms Automatique, it’s a relief to know that these are every bit as capable on your next rec dive.
(Though, speaking subjectively, I definitely think that the sunburst-on-ceramic treatment also excels among wearers whose personal style involves a lot of streetwear and/or denim.)
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Thanks to the large multi-part case construction, these ceramic Bathyscaphes are water-resistant to 300 metres. Plus — in a logline I basically never tire of dropping — Blancpain’s access to Swatch Group technology means they’ve been able to craft a movement so efficient, that it’s able to generate a five-day power reserve.
At a time when a lot of Swiss watchmakers are fielding $30,000 releases that won’t even go the distance over a weekend, those kinds of stats actually mean something.
