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(u-s:b /Blancpain/Darwel) Blancpain celebrates the 50th anniversary of the legendary Fifty Fathoms and unveiled its new limited edition:the 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms.

On 22 November 2003 in Thailand, Blancpain celebrated the 50th anniversary of a legend with a glorious past: the "Fifty Fathoms" diver's watch. With over a hundred international guests in attendance, Blancpain unveiled a new limited edition:
the 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms, created in honor of the first modern diving watch.

Since 1953, military divers have sworn by this watch. Special Forces have used it on countless secret missions on behalf of their respective countries, including France, the United States, Israel and Germany.

Launched in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms soon forged a solid reputation for reliability and robustness among elite units. Oceanographers and marine researchers quickly realized the benefits of this instrument for their own divers, starting with the crew that filmed the underwater sequences of "The Silent World". Co-produced with Louis Malle, this film won the 1956 Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

For the 50th anniversary of this legendary watch, Blancpain is creating a special anniversary version in a limited edition of 150 watches (three series of fifty) bearing the anniversary inscription on the dial. The first truly modern diver's watch, the Fifty Fathoms, has retained all of its professional qualities and its character, but it now features many technical innovations made possible by the technicians and master watchmakers at Blancpain.

1953 - History
The birth and destiny of the first modern diving watch: the Fifty Fathoms

1953 - Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms: The first modern diving watch

In the early 1950s, Swiss watchmakers were intrigued by the idea of making watches for navigation, without being able to penetrate the mysteries of underwater conditions.

In 1952, two French naval officers, Commander Robert "Bob" Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud, were instructed by the Ministry of Defense and the French Navy to set up an elite unit called "Les Nageurs de Combat", i.e. Combat Swimmers.

At the time, they found that no diver's watch could meet their demanding specifications, so the two men determined what kind of wristwatch they needed and convinced Blancpain to manufacture a diving watch which became a standard piece of professional equipment required by this new combat unit.

The company's visionary engineers and watchmakers put their talents and know-how to work and came up with a compact marvel of precision mechanics.

Launched in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms by Blancpain determined the fundamental parameters of the modern diver's watch.

1953 - Launch of the Fifty Fathoms diving watch

Innovative on more than one count, Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms diving watch was launched in 1953 and created an instant sensation.

Thanks to a robust stainless steel screw-case, its water resistance was officially guaranted up to 50 fathoms (1 fathom=1.829 m), or 91.45 meters. This was about equivalent to the maximum dive depth for a diver equipped with cylinders containing a mix of oxygen and nitrogen. An automatic movement, self-winding, reduced the need to use the winding stem, a weak point for so many underwater watches.

One characteristic was supremely important: this watch could be read in the dark, because its large luminous numerals and markers stood out clearly against the black background of the dial and watch crystal.

Most striking of all, its unidirectional rotating epoxy bezel could be used in a totally novel and convenient way. If the diver positioned the bezel's 12-hour marker opposite the minute-hand before a dive, he could keep track of elapsed diving time simply by glancing at his watch.

1953 - History
The birth and destiny of the first modern diving watch: the Fifty Fathoms

1953 - Mission ready

The Fifty Fathoms started life as a military watch, embarking on an expanded career in the exploration, study and preservation of marine life.

Highly regarded since 1953 by naval divers, commandos and other special forces, this technological marvel served with distinction in the armed forces of the United States (Navy SEALS), France, Germany (Bundesmarine) and Israel.

But within a decade after its inception, Blancpain‘s Fifty Fathoms became a scientific instrument, preferred by any number of research and oceanographic teams.

In France, for instance, the divers from a major subsea research organization, the GERS (Groupe d'études et de recherches sous-marines) were equipped with the watch. Having proven its qualities, the watch inspired tremendous confidence and countless divers, explorers of the deep and marine technicians wore it throughout their career.

The Silent World

Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1956 Cannes Festival, "The Silent World", co-directed by Louis Malle, made people all over the world aware that the marine flora and fauna were extremely rich, but needed to be protected. This global audience could not help but notice that the entire subaquatic team wore a certain watch… The unique professional qualities of the Fifty Fathoms proved invaluable in shooting the film's long underwater sequences.

2003 - News
Blancpain presents a new limited edition: the "50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms"

Representing both progress and continuity, the 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms is designed first and foremost for the world's most demanding professional divers.

It displays the same dial and the same oversized luminous numerals and markers as the original 1953 design, reflecting the same adventurous spirit.

Stainless steel is still used for the watch-case, but the stainless steel case used for the 2003 version is now water resistant up to 300 meters, or about 165 fathoms, thanks to its screw-case, screw-locked crown and usually thick sapphire crystal. Today, its self-winding automatic movement with twin barrels delivers a power reserve of 100 hours.

Epoxy was used during the watch's early years, but now its unidirectional rotating bezel is crafted from scratch-resistant black sapphire. Now luminous numerals and indexes glow from the bezel that is not flat but curved, to slip more easily along rough surfaces. Blancpain's experienced teams of ingenious technicians were the first in the world to meet this particular challenge. Elapsed diving times can be determined at a glance, by noting the minute-hand’s position relative to the luminous numerals and markers on the bezel.

Blancpain's perfectionism is clearly visible in the pair of interchangeable straps.
The 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms watch comes with a stainless steel watch case, a stainless steel bracelet and a rubber strap designed especially for underwater activities. The rubber strap is equipped with an oversized diving loop and its crown is flanked by a cut-out area on either side to ensure easy handling under water with gloved fingers.

To facilitate the changeover from bracelet to strap and vice-versa, the straps are attached to the watchcase by means of a "imbus" screw (six-sided screw), for the first time in the world. A watch-holder kit is also supplied with the watch, consisting of a specially designed stand enabling you to keep the watch stable while you make the switch. The stand has four hollow feet that hold various tools used to change straps.

The 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms comes in a special jewel box recalling the original purpose of its predecessor. The box, shaped to suggest a diving lamp, contains the small tooling needed to change the strap.

Manufactured in three short series of 50 watches, 150 in all, this limited edition: the 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms is primarily intended for the world's most demanding diving professionals.

Autor:  
Blancpain/Darwel 

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