A few days ago, the house of Blancpain presented its new Fifty Fathoms Tech. This new watch incorporates Blancpain’s 3-hour bezel: a complication born in the depths, allowing divers to remain underwater for hours as the ocean slowly reveals itself.
“The Fifty Fathoms was born in 1953 as the first true tool-watch for diving. Today, that same spirit drives the new Fifty Fathoms Tech and also the Blancpain Ocean Commitment, a program that has quietly become one of the most relevant initiatives for marine exploration and conservation.”
“The new Fifty Fathoms Tech offers divers what marine life demands before revealing itself: time. This is a truly useful complication in the field, and the reason goes far beyond a simple technical necessity. Marine life is extremely sensitive to the presence of divers. Fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and the smallest organisms on a reef perceive the intrusion and modify their behavior accordingly. The shorter the dive, the more disrupted the observation becomes. Spending prolonged time at the bottom changes everything. With enough time underwater, marine life gets used to the diver’s presence, relaxes, and resumes its natural behavior: feeding, moving, and interacting as if no one were watching.”
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech
A new watch from the house of Blancpain that is based on the popular Fifty Fathoms collection. The central theme, naturally, is the exploration and study of the oceans and marine life. Now, this new Fifty Fathoms Tech incorporates a 3-hour bezel. A world first, it was born out of a specific need. Modern technical diving, especially with closed-circuit rebreathers (CCR), involves prolonged dives at great depths: two, three hours or more. A 60-minute bezel is simply insufficient.
The absolute black dial absorbs up to 97% of ambient light, while the luminescence is deliberately differentiated: blue-emitting Super-LumiNova for all diving indications and green-emitting Super-LumiNova for the conventional time indication. In any light and at any depth, there is no room for confusion. It features a specific hand and a 3-hour scale that provide technical divers, underwater photographers, and scientists with the necessary precision throughout the entire duration of a dive.
The Grade 23 titanium case, with a 47mm diameter and 14.81mm thickness, offers a water resistance of 300 meters and a helium escape valve. It features sapphire crystal on both the front and the exhibition caseback. The bezel has a ceramic insert.
Inside, the Manufacture Calibre 13P5A—based on the renowned Calibre 1315—powers the watch. This self-winding mechanical movement consists of 226 components and features a power reserve of 120 hours.
It features a redesigned tool-free interchangeable strap system, built around central lugs and available with an orange rubber strap; the black and white versions are offered separately. The watch is delivered in Blancpain’s Peli case: water-resistant, shock-resistant, and reusable.
Price
The approximate retail price is €24,350. Blancpain
