Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms Large Date, Now with a Titanium Bracelet

BLANCPAIN | Blancpain

A Modern Dive Watch with Highly Legible Date Display, Now Even More Appealing!

EDITOR’S EYE
A new bracelet has been developed for the Fifty Fathoms.
This large date display is, as expected, exceptionally legible. The design draws the eye to the date by using numeral hour markers only at the 12 o’clock position.
I feel the natural gray tone of titanium suits the design of the Fifty Fathoms itself.

Blancpain has released the new "Fifty Fathoms Large Date," which combines a titanium bracelet, from its iconic "Fifty Fathoms" collection.

Text by SAYAKA OZAKI | Edit by TAKASHI TSUCHIDA

A New Version Paired with a Titanium Bracelet

First introduced in 1953 as Blancpain’s first modern dive watch, the "Fifty Fathoms" became an exceptional collection due to its avant-garde technology and design features. The large, luminous hour markers and hands on the black dial, along with the robust, water-resistant rotating bezel, set the benchmark for the entire watchmaking industry at the time.

While Blancpain played a pioneering role in defining dive watches, it has also been an early adopter of innovative materials in its timepieces. In fact, Blancpain's use of titanium, known for its high scratch resistance and corrosion resistance, dates back to the early 1960s when it produced a special series of "MIL-SPEC II" models for a U.S. Navy minesweeper team.

Evidence of this can be seen in a "U.S. Navy" timepiece that Blancpain acquired at auction in 2015. The titanium case back, attached to a nickel silver case—a non-magnetic alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel—was adopted to enhance pressure resistance. At the time, titanium was primarily reserved for the aerospace industry and was rarely seen in watchmaking.

The "Fifty Fathoms Large Date" is a new creation that reflects this history and tradition of innovation at Blancpain. The new titanium bracelet, characterized by its remarkable lightness, is crafted through a series of meticulous manual assembly and finishing processes. Pins connect the satin-finished links, allowing for a supple fit on the wrist and ensuring ideal wearing comfort.

Furthermore, thanks to a patented system, the screws that are normally on the side are positioned at the back of the links, resulting in smooth edges for the bracelet. This combination of technologies achieves a seamless form where the case and bracelet appear as one integrated unit.

On the striking black dial, Super-LumiNova®-coated hour markers and hands ensure excellent legibility in any environment, while features like the scratch-resistant sapphire insert unidirectional bezel retain the characteristics of diving equipment.

The "Fifty Fathoms Large Date" is powered by the in-house Caliber 6918B. This caliber offers magnetic resistance through the use of a silicon balance spring and boasts a long power reserve of five days thanks to its three coupled barrels. This movement can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back.