small-luxury-world: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

The Fifty Fathoms is the historical most important watch in the history of Blancpain. Today it is claimed to be “The World´s First Modern Diving Watch” (by Blancpain) – from 1953.

Before we come to my main topic (Trilogy & Concept 2000), let me give you a rough overview about the family.

Vintage - countless versions of the FF diver´s watch have been made and even Blancpain has no detailed overview – at least it seems like this. Fifty Fathoms selling numbers in total (“Pre-Biver-Era”) have been about 50.000 up to 150.000 – different numbers from different sources. It was quite a success in the past, but never treated like this. In-depth knowledge is not written down - at least not available for the collectors, customers, public, … . Lots of, sometimes different, information can be found in several sources (official & not official). At the re-birth of Blancpain in 1983 (by Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet) there was no new Fifty Fathoms until 1998 and most of the people didn´t even know about it. When I bought my first FF Bathyscaphe in 1989, only a few collectors have been aware of the Fifty Fathoms. It was a bargain and the only Blancpain I could afford at the time.

The first time the old Fifty Fathoms was shown to a bigger audience was in 1998, when the Trilogy collection was presented.

There was a little catalogue (printed 2/98):

“The Fifty Fathoms Years – In 1956, Commander Costeau won the Palme d`Or of the Cannes Festival for his film The World of Silence. This represented the discovery of the vast oceans depths in which Blancpain took part with the famous Fifty Fathoms watch worn by the divers. As one of the first diver watches to be water-resistant to 50 fathoms or 91.5 meters, it would soon become a precious working tool for divers the world over. …”.
Nothing was mentioned about 1953 – at that time in 1998.

(Ref. 2200; caliber 1151)

In Basel 1999 they introduced the Concept 2000 collection and therefore they printed a brochure. Some watch journalists used the word futuristic and indeed the design was more like a concept watch, at that time. Steel, fiberglass, rubber - today some would call it a fusion …

More details about Trilogy & Concept 2000 later.

The first time I was reading about Fifty Fathoms and the date 1953, it was in the Chronos Special Blancpain (2001).

November 2003 Blancpain celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms with a limited edition.

(ref. 2200A; caliber 1151; case diameter 40.3mm)

The Anniversary 50 Fathoms was done in three series – I (50 pieces), II (50 pieces), III (50 pieces) + one for Marc Hayek + one for Bob Maloubier + one (I don´t know, but Stephan Ciejka would be my assumption). There was a brochure about the Limited Edition and Bob Maloubier, the founder of the Nageurs de Combat was shown with his Fifty Fathoms, in 1953.
Additionally there was a Klassik Uhren Special because of the anniversary, in 2004, with more detailed information about the Fifty Fathoms.

Basel 2007 – introduction of the latest Fifty Fathoms collection, which is called Fifty Fathoms Sports.