Blancpain Presents the Latest Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Variants in Red Gold

Blancpain introduced its patented black ceramic in June this year, with a patented black ceramic case and bracelet for the Bathyscaphe collection. The timepiece maker has now unveiled two variants, namely the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback (Ref. 5200 3640 76S) and the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune (Ref. 5054 3640 76S), in 18 ct red gold. Rose gold, an alloy of gold and copper, gained significant popularity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly during the Art Nouveau period (circa 1890-1910). The warm, pinkish hue of rose gold complemented the organic and naturalistic themes prevalent in Art Nouveau design, which often featured intricate floral and curvilinear motifs. 

The Fifty Fathoms dive watch is not only Blancpain's most popular model, but it also created history in 1953 as the first dive watch to use a unidirectional rotating scaled ring for added security while diving. The French military provided another proof of concept for Fifty Fathoms. After the war, French military divers required a reliable timepiece that could be used both above and below the sea. Jean-Jacques Fiechter, the head of Blancpain at that time and a passionate diver, only needed to make minor adjustments to the timepiece to meet French regulations. The original model already demonstrated characteristic Blancpain features: a black dial with luminous numerals and markers as well as a black bezel with grooves for improved grip.

The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune

This model comes in a 43 mm red gold case, with a bezel, lugs, and a crown at 3 o’clock. There is a blue satin-brushed 60-minute unidirectional rotating bezel with a ceramic insert and Ceragold™. The dial is in sunburst blue colour, and has eight dotted and four trapezoidal hour markers. At 12 o’clock rests a dual window for the day of the week and the month of the year; at 6 o’clock, one can spot a moonphase with a changing face.

The recreation of lunar cycles on the dials of Blancpain’s complete calendar watches emphasises the long-standing relationship between watchmaking and astronomy. The dial has a full circle date around the dial with white numerals. The hour, minute, lollipop central seconds come with an additional hand with a red semicircle to mark the date. Powering the watch is Calibre 6654.P.4 with a 72-hour power reserve. The watch is finished on a red gold bracelet with a folding clasp. 

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The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback

This timepiece is housed in a resilient 43 mm 18 ct rose gold case, sporting a crown, and two chronograph pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock. The unidirectional rotating bezel has a satin-brushed blue ceramic insert, identical to that of the model mentioned above, and a diamond-shaped orientation marker at 12 o’clock. The dial's rectangular hands are inspired by details of vintage Bathyscaphe models. The sunburst-patterned dial has chronograph counters at 3 o’clock (30-minute counter) and 9 o’clock (12-hour counter); these are snailed to create greater depth. 

Legibility is improved with the use of Super-LumiNova on the eight dotted and four trapezoidal hour markers and hands; the tip of the central chronograph second hand is red. A date window is spotted at 4:30 with a white numeral; a small seconds counter can be found at 6 o'clock. The Blancpain calibre F385 is a high-frequency automatic chronograph movement, beating at a frequency of 5Hz movement (36,000vph). As a flyback, the chronograph hands may be stopped, reset, and started with a single press of the 4 o'clock pusher. It can hold up to 50 hours of power reserve. The watch is finished on a red gold bracelet with a folding clasp.