Blancpain's legendary diver model Fifty Fathoms celebrated its 70th birthday with three new models introduced and released at different times. Let's take a look at these special watches together.
Fifty Fathoms, the legendary diver model of Blancpain, one of the world's most established watch manufacturers, turns 70 as of 2023. Fifty Fathoms, which took its name from its water resistance rating of 50 fathoms, or approximately 91 meters, when it was introduced in 1953, caused great excitement among Blancpain fans with three new models joining the family.
The first of our special models is called 70th Anniversary Act 1. In the first act, there are three different models, series 1, 2, and 3, but the only difference between these models is the phrase on their dials indicating which series they belong to. The reason why the watches are divided into series is that they are produced separately for the American, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific markets. Since 70 units of each model were produced, we reached the total production number of 210 units in the first act.
As it is known, the standard Fifty Fathoms model has a case diameter of 45mm, and the limited edition versions have a case diameter of 40mm. The 70th Anniversary Act 1 has a unique case size of 42.3mm in diameter. As our careful readers have noticed, the case diameter of the Scuba model, introduced in cooperation with Swatch, was determined by taking this version as an example. The water resistance value of the model, which attracts attention with its diving-type bezel made of sapphire crystal and filled with SuperLuminova, is determined as 300 meters. Act 1, like the standard version, houses the automatic caliber 1315, developed and produced in-house, with a 5-day power reserve and high magnetic field resistance. We have bad news for those who are considering owning the model, which is offered to watch lovers with a NATO-type strap with an abnormal width of 21.5mm: All watches booked through the Blancpain website are sold out.
The second act opens with the Tech Gombessa model. Designed with deep-sea explorers in mind, the watch breaks new ground in the industry and offers the ability to track dives for up to 3 hours to professionals. This special model has a case with dimensions of 47mm x 14.81mm, made of Grade 23 titanium, which is not often used in the watch industry. Featuring all the characteristic elements of both Fifty Fathoms and a technological diver's watch, such as sapphire crystal glass and bezel, helium escape valve, 300 meters water resistance, Tech Gombessa is powered by the automatic caliber 13P8 with a 5-day power reserve. The rubber strap of the watch, which can track diving time for up to 3 hours thanks to the additional hand on the dial, was also designed with underwater operations in mind. Before we forget, this special model is not included in the limited production collection and will continue to exist in the standard catalog, albeit in low quantities, at least for a while longer.
In the last act, the newly introduced golden-bronze Act 3 welcomes us. The watch, with details inspired by the historically important MIL-SPEC model, has a special case produced by alloying metals such as 37.5% gold, 50% bronze, silver, palladium, and gallium. This special material has the color and texture of bronze but can come into direct contact with the skin without causing any allergic reactions and is extremely resistant to oxidation that occurs over time. The case diameter of the Act 3 model is determined as 41.3mm. Produced in a limited edition of 555 pieces, this model is offered to watch lovers with a unique carrying case. At the heart of the model, which has a magnetic field resistance of up to 1000 Gauss, is the automatic caliber 1154.P2 with a power reserve of 100 hours. Like the Act 1 model, Act 3 is also offered for sale with a NATO-type fabric strap.
