In the storied industry that is the world of horology, celebratory anniversaries seemingly tick by at a rapid pace, so much so that it feels like every couple of months a noted watch house releases a well-crafted limited-edition timepiece as an homage to a trailblazing model from a time gone by. With 2023’s cogs now fully turning, the first relaunch of a past icon has arrived with Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1, a paean to the first modern diver’s watch.
First revealed to the public in 1953, the original Fifty Fathoms was crafted to be used by the ocean-exploring community, and was noted by pioneering divers and marine corps for its water resistance, doubled-sealed crown, rugged yet straightforward look, and contrasting dark dial with luminescent indications, with such features confirming the creation as the platonic ideal of the diver’s watch – one which would go on to become the benchmark for many timepieces of its ilk.
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Indeed, such was the reverence it demanded that in 2003, 50 years following its release, Blancpain revived the then dormant model by launching a contemporary “renaissance” version which took its aesthetic cues from the original – including oversized numerals and a black dial – but brought it into the new millennium with a bevy of newly introduced features, such as a scratchproof sapphire insert, and a water-resistance of approximately 300 metres.
Now, in the 70th-anniversary year of the Fifty Fathoms, the Swiss manufacturer has recently announced its most up-to-date homage: three series (each dedicated to a specific corner of the world: the Americas; Asia-Pacific; and Europe, the Middle East and Africa) of 70 limited-edition watches, with each bearing its series number (I, II or III) on the dial.
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Highlights of the new product include the classic black dial with sunburst motif, on which appears a set of thick pared-back hour-markers and the throwback-style lumen hands. The polished-steel case, topped by the famed unidirectional bezel, is made with a 42mm diameter, a unique dimension as other variants measure at either 45mm or 40mm. And a five-day power reserve comes courtesy of a trio of barrels.
Additionally, powering the watch is the in-house Calibre 1315, an innovation from 2007; a silicon balance spring guarantees any resistance to magnetism, a must for underwater adventurers; and, in a clear tribute to the original, the new edition’s oscillating weight that features the “Fifty Fathoms 70th” logo is made of platinum, a metal that is commonly associated with the notion of eternity, as well as 70th wedding anniversaries in Switzerland.
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However, even though the new Fifty Fathoms is an ode to a hero of the past, it still has an ethos that looks to the decades ahead, with its black NATO-style strap being produced “from 100% recycled and entirely recyclable thread from fishing nets recovered from the sea or oceans”.
By modernising a classic from the previous century, Blancpain has seemingly managed to tie together the essence of tradition with the needs of today, and the overall result is an original, world-beating diver’s timepiece for those who want to break away from the usual big-hit lineup (Rolex, et al.). Better still, as the name implies, there are further acts to follow this year – in the meantime, the new three series will be exclusively available for pre-order on the Blancpain website this month.
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