Jack Forster
[Elite User]
4381
Firsthand impressions of the 50 Fathoms 50th Anniversary LE
On May 13th, Tourneau in New York hosted a reception for Blancpain USA and the new 50 Fathoms Anniversary Limited Edition. While I was able to attend unfortunately my ability to take photographs was inhibited by a technical lapse- note to self: good journalists check camera batteries before going to an event 
.
However, the reception itself was, as befits the brand, the watch, and the individuals behind it, relatively restrained and to my mind appropriately so. An elegant service of wines and hors d'ouvres were offered as guest mingled and chatted with Blancpain representatives, and met with the guest of honor, Commander Robert 'Bob' Maloubier, a founding member (with Lt. Claude Riffaud) of the elite French underwater combat unit, the 'Nageurs de combat' in 1952. As all Blancpain enthusiasts know, the unit required an underwater wristwatch capable of operating at depth reliably; and no such watch existed at the time. I have done some reading on the history of dive watches and apparently, while there were at this point many watches which were water resistant, a watch that could be counted on to resist water entry during prolong submerged maneuvers at depth was not in existence. The Rolex Submariner, according to online sources I've consulted, debuted as what was essentially a prototype, accompanying Auguste and Jacques Piccard in 1953 during their dive on the Challenger Deep in the bathyscaphe Trieste ; this, however valuable a test of the general ruggedness of the watch, was not of course in the nature of a scuba operation. Without detracting from the superb ruggedness and impressive aesthetics of the Submariner, it seems that history supports the claim of the 50 Fathoms watch, which was manufactured to specifications provided to Blancpain by Cmdr. Maloubier, and was intended specifically to provide reliable timekeeping and elapsed-time functions during underwater combat operations, to be the first true purpose-built diver's watch.
(Original 50 Fathoms watch, photo courtesy Magnus Bosse and the official Blancpain Forum)
At the reception, we were able to view the first in the limited edition series, watch #1. In a day and age where dive watches seem to be struggling to rival tanks and regulators in size and weight, and where many are so large that they stand a good chance of hanging up on a piece of debris during a wreck dive and getting you killed (hey, what's a little hyperbole among friends?) the 50 Fathoms Limited Edition is interesting for moving in the opposite direction; it is a relatively smaller watch than many others, which often hover in the 42-45mm range; however at 40.30 by 14mm this is by no means a diminutive dress watch. Eschewing the tank-turret aesthetics of many dive watches, the 50 Fathoms Limited Edition is actually an extremely elegant piece, and not in a machine-aesthetic way, like so many dive watches- the unidirectional turning bezel, which is solid synthetic sapphire and into which the luminous bezel markers are set, lends an otherworldly depth to the watch, while also being a robust, practical construction which protects the bezel against the scratches that almost immediately begin to mar the bezel of a dive watch in actual use.
(The Fifty Fathoms Limited Edition, view of the sapphire bezel.)
I always think that one of the things that really distinguishes a really well designed watch from a lesser one is the extent to which the visual depth of the watch is handled; since any watch is essentially flat, creating an effect of three dimensionality is both aesthetically satisfying and practical as well, as in my experience it increases legibility. The sapphire bezel on the 50 Fathoms LE does this beautifully; in person, as we were shown at the reception, the bezel gives a wonderful sense of, one might say, oceanic depth 
.
The watch also comes on two straps, with a specially designed case holder and strap/bracelet changing tools. I found the rubber strap odd-looking in photographs, to say the least, but in person the soft matte black rubber makes a very pleasing contrast to the iridescent black of the sapphire bezel, and the shrouds surrounding the case leave few surfaces exposed to damage. I don't know how many of the lucky owners of this watch will actually dive with it- I hope many will- but if you do, the strap is incredibly practical as well as quite handsome in it's own right. You might or might not want to wear it to the office though- it would certainly raise a few eyebrows strapped to the outside of your favorite bespoke tweed suit jacket.
(Photos courtesy the official Blancpain Fifty Fathoms LE Website)
In addition to the strap, the LE also comes with a beautiful stainless steel bracelet; I didn't examine it at great length but it appears to exhibit the same very high quality steelwork for which Blancpain steel bracelets are known. The LE might look pretty darned good on one of Blancpain's rubber/steel bracelets as well. . .
Overall, this is a really impressive watch; the aesthetics are well thought out and impeccably executed, and the watch has a distinguished history as well. It's apparent simplicity belies the enormous thought that clearly went into making it a tremendously satisfying piece on a number of levels; it's easy to overlook the sophistication of the design (which I find is the case with many Blancpain watches, especially the Villeret line; simplicity in execution is deceptively complex to achieve!), but it works beautifully both from a purely visual as well as a practical standpoint. It actually passes my 'one watch' test quite admirably, in which I imagine whether or not a watch could realistically function as the single good watch in one's possession, and I can't think of another dive watch that does so. It's classic, it's got tremendous history, it's beautiful. . . what are you waiting for?
Jack Forster
PS- If the inherent beauty and classy design aren't enough for you, Blancpain is also sponsoring a marine life conservation initiative in the form of the Whale Shark Project, see the official 50 Fathoms LE website:
http://www.blancpain.com/fifty_fathoms/
for details.
Also for more information and great photographs see Magnus Bosse's article for the official Blancpain Discussion Forum here:
http://www.ornatus-mundi.ch/blancpainforum/Jubilee-50Fathoms.htm
And congratulations to Blancpain and Commander Maloubier, for fifty years of history as authentic as it gets!
JF
PPS- edited by Author for clarity and to eliminate egregious repetitiveness. It is increasingly obvious to Author that Author should wait an hour, then proofread and edit before posting anything other than a casual missive. Author blushes.
J.