Not many know it, but the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is the father of the modern dive watch. With a history that dates back to 1953, it was the template that almost all modern dive watches have followed since, with an easy to read dial, impressive water resistance and a rotating dive bezel. This year, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe has received a fresh treatment in full titanium.
In the last few decades, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms has evolved both aesthetically and technically, but hasn’t forgotten its original function-forward design intent. With a sleeker, sportier case than the original, the Fifty Fathoms has developed into a genuine contender as a modern luxury dive watch.
The new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe features a 43mm titanium case, which offers a decent presence on the wrist at 13.45mm thick. Unusually, the alloy that Blancpain has used is Grade 23 titanium, which is similar to the more common Grade 5 titanium, but reportedly has better ductility and fracture toughness.
RELATED: Phillips’ Record-Breaking $100 Million Watch Auction The Most Successful Ever
The case material is a practical one for both professional and recreational divers, thanks to it being impressively lightweight, corrosion-resistant and comfortable on the wrist. The case is secured with a sapphire crystal caseback that offers an uninterrupted view of the movement within, while also guaranteeing the watch to 300m of water resistance.
The diving bezel of the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe features a vertically brushed finish, looks great in the stealthy anthracite colour the brand chose, keeping the watch very much under the radar. The unidirectional dive bezel that frames the dial has also been executed in a similarly dark grey and is made from the same titanium as the case.
Powering this latest expression of the iconic diver is the in-house automatic calibre 1315, which has three mainspring barrels that serve up 120 hours of power reserve. The movement also features an antimagnetic silicon balance-spring, solid gold rotor and the level of expert finishing you would expect from Blanpain.
The titanium Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe is available either on a titanium bracelet, NATO-style fabric strap or a textile sailcloth strap. On the bracelet, it has an RRP of $19,500.
