Passion

The new Blancpain purely white interpretation of its instantly-recognizable Fifty Fathoms makes one feel its distinctively innovative spirit. The white unidirectional rotating bezel crafted in scratch-resistant sapphire keeps the watch’s owner away from accidentally prolonging the dive time. The slightly raised and ratcheted design of the bezel is developed to limit any potential shocks.

The 45 mm-diameter steel case of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique watch is fitted with crown guards to guarantee enhanced security of the construction. The matt white dial background is completed with trapeze-shaped hour-markers and hands in rhodium-plated gold with applied luminescent coating. The bezel of the watch is provided the pearly grey Luminova markings revealing their fluorescent green color only in the ocean-depths darkness.

In the heart of the white Fifty Fathoms Automatique there beats a self-winding Calibre 1315, a Blancpain in-house mechanical movement developed exquisitely for timepieces with a resolutely sporting vocation. Based on the concept of utmost simplicity, accuracy and performance, Calibre 1315 is designed to ensure peerless accuracy and rating efficiency. The mechanism is equipped with three series-coupled barrels to offer an advantage of a 5-day power reserve, providing a sturdy supply of energy at all times.

The sapphire crystal case back of the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms displays the beauty and complex nature of the movement composed of 222 parts. The timepiece boasts 300-meter water-resistance.

Blancpain self-winding Calibre 1315 reveals perfect finishing. The large rubies are driven directly into the bridges and plates, maintaining the amazing visual magic of a traditional movement. The oscillating weight specially designed for the purely white model spotlights a nautilus motif.

The new Blancpain watch is coupled with a sporty and water-resistant rubber-lined white sail canvas strap equipped with a pin buckle.

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms collections holds plenty of surprises for avid fans of the brand - it will soon be enlarged with new models created in new colors and featuring luxurious finishes, to please devotees of fine mechanical watchmaking.

The original model of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch, developed to withstand the extreme conditions of military underwater missions, appeared in 1953, following the encounter between Blancpain and Captain ‘Bob’ Maloubier and his lieutenant Claude Riffaud. The officers were commissioned by the French Ministry of Defence to form an elite unit of ‘Combat Divers’ to be supplied with reliable timekeepers.

The timepiece guaranteed water-resistance to 50 fathoms (91.45 meters), the depth that suggested name of the mechanical masterpiece. In short period of time, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms earned a reputation for remarkable reliability and sturdiness. The model gained the status of the archetypal modern diver’s watch.

In 2007, Blancpain unveiled a whole collection of watches that inherited the DNA of the iconic timekeeping instrument. Along with the Automatique model, the collection comprises a flyback chronograph model and a majestic flying tourbillon. All three Fifty Fathoms models guarantee 300-meter water-resistance.

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch collection story started in 1952 when Captain ‘Bob’ Maloubier and lieutenant Claude Riffaud were commissioned by the French Ministry of Defense to form an elite unit of ‘Combat Divers’. The captain and lieutenant could not find a watch created to withstand the extreme conditions implied by underwater missions. They asked Blancpain to develop a watch that would comprise a specific set of technical features, including the groundbreaking unidirectional bezel. The brand’s watchmakers and engineers developed a masterpiece that rightfully became the archetypal diver’s watch with water resistance guaranteed to a depth of 50 fathoms (91.45 m), the feature that suggested the collection’s name.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms were soon highly appreciated for extreme reliability and sturdiness by the special forces of several countries and then used by specialists in the field of ocean exploration. The Fifty Fathoms were also the choice of the crew of Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle during ‘World of Silence’ movie shooting.

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon has incorporated one of the brand’s specialties - the ‘flying’ tourbillon, with the tiny carriage that spins on its axis once a minute and is mounted on a single side, provided with no supporting bridge, so it seems to be floating in space. The perfectly designed ethereal construction follows the success of the thinnest flying tourbillon ever created that stunned the horology world in 1989. Now the Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon is presented through a large round opening featured at 12 o’clock and is set off against the black dial base.

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon sports a sapphire case-back that allows to admire the complex beauty of its 234-part movement, offering 300-meter water resistance. The automatic caliber with flying tourbillon regulator provides 8-day power reserve. It features finishing details that reflect the best watchmaking traditions and is equipped with an oscillating weight specially designed for this watch model.

The 45 mm-diameter case of the Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon is crafted in red or white gold. Besides water-resistance, the timepiece sports important characteristics of a diver’s watch that forged the prestigious reputation of the original Fifty Fathoms and reflect the brand’s experience in the field of diving:

    * oversized hour-markers and hands for optimal readability

    * black dial and bezel color with the contrasting luminescent indications

    * rotating bezel with notched profile for comfortable handling.

The unidirectional rotating system of the bezel eliminates the risk of any accidental extension of the dive times. The bezel is crafted from the extremely hard scratch-resistant sapphire. It features a slightly cambered effect reducing its vulnerability to shocks and is characterized by luxurious finishing.

The Blancpain specialists have thoroughly re-examined every detail of the Fifty Fathoms to optimize the watch’s performance and fine-tune its distinctive design. To guarantee supreme readability in any conditions, Blancpain has opted for a new shade of luminescent coating of the markings on the bezel and of the hands. The user-friendliness of the watch is created due to trapeze hour-markers featured on the sunburst-effect black dial, and graduated scale for the last fifteen minutes on the bezel.

The case of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon is provided with crown guards to improve the security of the essential component. The irresistible charm of the Blancpain watch is also maintained due to the new water-resistant strap in rubber-lined black canvas. The pin buckle of the rugged strap is embellished with a trapeze matching the hour-markers’ design.