Blancpain unveils its new 42 mm-diameter Fifty Fathoms Automatique models. After presenting its first case of this size in steel on last year’s Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 limited edition, the Manufacture is now offering it in red gold and titanium, as well as including it in the current collection
Born in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms marked a turning point in watchmaking history. The first true diver’s watch, it established the fundamental technical and aesthetic codes for this type of tool watch. Its sturdiness, water-resistance, secure rotating-bezel system, anti-magnetism, and extreme legibility are all features designed specifically for scuba diving that were adopted by the entire industry at the time and have endured to this day.
The Fifty Fathoms was given a new lease on life in 2003 by President & CEO Marc A. Hayek, who ushered it into the 21st century. His gamble paid off, as this fervent diving enthusiast also made 2007 a year to remember with the launch of the 45 mm Fifty Fathoms Automatique. Equipped with specially developed Calibre 1315, this model marked the debut of a whole new Fifty Fathoms generation. This movement also went on to find its place in the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1, the first timepiece (issued in a limited edition) celebrating the 70th anniversary of the inaugural model in 2023 and featuring a 42 mm case.
This year, however, watch enthusiasts wishing to own high-performance Calibre 1315 – a robust and accurate self-winding movement ensuring a substantial and reliable five-day power reserve thanks to its three series-coupled barrels – will be delighted to know that the Manufacture is now offering the 42 mm diameter in its current collection with the new Fifty Fathoms Automatique models.
Retaining their predecessor’s pleasing proportions, these new 42 mm Fifty Fathoms Automatique watches are available in red gold and grade 23 titanium. The elegance and sophistication of gold makes them alluringly chic, while grade 23 titanium endows them with a sporty look. Reputed to be the purest of its kind, this metal is lightweight and highly resistant to scratches and corrosion, alongside its anti-allergenic properties. The collection’s characteristic sapphire-topped bezel is also synonymous with robustness and ensures impeccable legibility.
Beating at the heart of these new Fifty Fathoms Automatique watches is Calibre 1315: a movement boasting unrivalled chronometric (precision timing) performance that is designed, built, produced, assembled, and adjusted in-house. Equipped with a stop-seconds function, it enables extremely precise time-setting. This calibre entirely decorated in keeping with Haute Horlogerie traditions has an 18K red gold oscillating weight – also decorated and sporting an NAC coating – whose design is inspired by the rotor of the historical 1953 timepiece.
Presented with a blue or black dial, the red gold and titanium versions come with a wide choice of straps (in matching colours) ranging from sail-canvas to NATO and a Tropic textured rubber iteration inspired by the 1953 model, while the titanium bracelet rounds off the range dedicated to the case in the same material. The new, non-limited Fifty Fathoms Automatique red gold or grade 23 titanium timepieces are available in a wide range of combinations and look set for a bright future with their long-awaited smaller diameter.
Launched in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms is the first true diver’s watch. Created by a diver to meet the needs of underwater exploration, it was chosen by diving pioneers and combat diver corps around the world as a professional timekeeping instrument. With its water resistance, robust doubled-sealed crown, self-winding movement, contrasting dark dial with luminescent indications, lockable rotating bezel and anti-magnetic protection, the Fifty Fathoms has become an indispensable instrument for divers on their underwater missions.
These key signature elements that established the Fifty Fathoms as the archetypal diver’s watch continue to define the identity of such timepieces for the entire watch industry. Bearing witness to the past while simultaneously looking firmly to the future, contemporary Fifty Fathoms models incorporate modern movements renowned for their robustness and reliability. They feature numerous technical innovations derived from Blancpain’s longstanding experience in the field of diving, its risks, and its imperious necessities.
The Fifty Fathoms has played an essential role in the development of scuba diving and the discovery of the ocean world. It has enabled Blancpain to forge close links with the ocean community that have been consistently strengthened for more than 70 years. The Fifty Fathoms is the catalyst for Blancpain’s commitment to ocean preservation – Blancpain Ocean Commitment.
