High Horology for the Depths: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms in Titanium
Conceived through the
personal and experimental diving experiences of Blancpain CEO, Jean-Jacques
Fiechter in the early 1950’s, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was famously developed
for military use by the, then, newly formed French Navy Combat Diving Corps and
later by the U.S. Navy. Following in this military tradition, Blancpain first
used titanium in its watch manufacturing in the early 1960’s, for the case backs
of its MIL-SPEC II models developed for U.S. Navy minesweeping teams. And now, over
65 years after its inception, Blancpain has released an all titanium version of
its iconic diving watch, in a nod to its heritage as an innovator of utility
watches for professionals.
Housing Blancpain’s Manufacture 1315 or 6918B calibres within 45 mm titanium cases, the Fifty Fathoms Automatique and Grande Date models feature silicon balance-springs impervious to magnetism and a five day power reserve by way of three series-coupled barrels. On the dial, the Fifty Fathoms shows its utility watch nature with Super-LumiNova® hour-markers and hands and completes its new, fully titanium look with a fluidly interlocking titanium bracelet.
Giving the Fifty Fathoms its unique
aesthetic among utilitarian diving watches, a unidirectional rotating bezel
with a scratch-resistant sapphire insert enlarges bezel markings and adds to
the perceived mass of this true high horology sport watch. Water-resistant to
30 bar (approximately 300 meters), the Fifty Fathoms Automatique is equipped
with a black or blue sunburst dial, with the Fifty Fathoms Grande Date being offered
with only a black dial.
Blancpain
www.blancpain.com