Blancpain: Encountering the Legendary Coelacanth, Dweller of the Deep

Supporting the "Gombessa Project"

Exploring the Mystery of the Coelacanth, a Legendary Deep-Sea Dweller

Born in 1735, known as the oldest existing watch maisonBlancpainis supporting the "Gombessa Project," an initiative in South Africa to research the ancient deep-sea fish, the coelacanth. Renowned diver and naturalist Laurent Ballesta has embarked on an underwater expedition, wearing Blancpain's "Fifty Fathoms" dive watch.

Text by YANAKA Tomomi

An Academic Expedition Aiming to Encounter the Coelacanth

The coelacanth, an ancient fish measuring about 2 meters in length, is called "Gombessa" by the local people of South Africa. This fish, thought to have gone extinct around 70 million years ago, has been a significant subject of zoological research since its "discovery" in 1938. It was considered a "transitional fossil" from fish to land animals, a "living fossil" retaining its form from 370 million years ago.

However, due to its small population and habitat in deep waters below 100 meters, direct sightings have been rare. The "Gombessa Project," following two years of preparation including academic research, conducted a 40-day marine survey from April 5th to May 15th this year. This established a framework for direct contact with living coelacanths, enabling observation and scientific experiments for the first time in history.

The latest model in the "Fifty Fathoms" dive watch collection, the "X Fathoms"

Laurent Ballesta, who is personally diving for the research, wears Blancpain's "Fifty Fathoms" dive watch collection. This watch, with water resistance up to 50 fathoms (approximately 91 meters), is a successor to the model developed in 1953 as the first modern dive watch.

Blancpain has a history of supporting marine-related projects and actively engaging with the ocean, including the annual publication of a specialized magazine on the underwater world. The "Fifty Fathoms" collection plays a significant role in contributing to this "encounter" with the coelacanth, which is expected to greatly aid in understanding evolution.

X FATHOMS
Case│Diameter 55.65mm × Thickness 24mm, satin-finished titanium case
Movement│Automatic Caliber 9918B
Power Reserve│Approx. 120 hours
Jewels│44
Water Resistance│30 bar
Price│¥3,769,500

Blancpain Boutique Ginza
Tel. 03-6254-7233
http://www.blancpain.com/

Gombessa Project
http://www.coelacanthe-projet-gombessa.com