Blancpain Expands the Bathyscaphe with Cool Colors and Materials

Expanding its time-honored collection of luxury diver’s watches, Blancpain unveils three new variants in its Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe collection. The flyback chronograph and the two three-hand plus date models are clad into black ceramic cases that are water-resistant to 300 meters and combined with a blue respectively green sun-brushed dial highlighting the unique aesthetic that has been a signature of the collection since its introduction in the 1950s.

Notably, Blancpain offers the new iterations with a variety of wristband options, including the recently introduced high-tech ceramic bracelet. Three years in the making to achieve a high level of resistance and comfort, it features a patented system for assembling the links with cam-shaped pins – so that they do not touch and break. In addition, all three releases are equipped with a unidirectional anti-clockwise black ceramic bezel in a bold blue or deep green with gray Liquidmetal indexes.

Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe

Named after the pioneering deep-water diving vessel invented by Auguste Piccard, the Bathyscaphe was launched in 1956 as a civil version of the famous Fifty Fathoms that had been introduced under the reign of Jean-Jacques Fiechter, Blancpain’s CEO, in 1953. While it maintained the durability and water-resistance needed, it had a slimmer design suited to both aquatic and terrestrial environments. There was also a date function included, adding to its more versatile character.

Following the successful revival of the Fifty Fathoms in 2007, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe had its own comeback in 2013. It honored the aesthetics of the original model, bringing back its bold defined case contours that had distinguished the first edition and a thoughtfully styled dial recalling the early Bathyscaphe models. New elements joined the heritage design: a contemporary 43mm case size and a slimmer unidirectional rotating bezel crafted from scratch-resistant ceramic.

In the wake of the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de lune, introduced earlier in June 2024 in a new black ceramic case and bracelet as well as a blue sunburst dial, the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe variants feature a black ceramic case with a diameter of 43.6mm and are available with a blue or green dial. Both are slightly graduated and enhanced by a sunburst finish. Other than that, they uphold the signature details, with bold rectangular hour and minute hands allowing for wide strips of luminescent material and the central seconds hand with a luminescent lollipop circle and a red tip. 

The same rings true for the inner workings. The watches are driven by the in-house Caliber 1315, a self-winding movement with a remarkable five-day power reserve, which is achieved through three serially-coupled barrels. Beating at a frequency of 28,000 vph, it features a silicon-balance spring impermeable to magnetic fields. Adding to its technical prowess, the impeccably finished movement showcases an NAC-coated 18K gold oscillating weight.

The price for the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe is $21,300 on a ceramic bracelet, while the NATO- and canvas-strap versions retail for $13,700.

Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback

Since 2022, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronograph Flyback has been available with a green sunbrush dial. This version is now joined by a blue option. Here too, a subtle gradient enhances the color. Like the first model released in 2014, the newcomer features a dark ceramic case that measures 43.6mm x 15.25mm and a unidirectional bezel with a ceramic insert.

At the heart of the Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback is the automatic caliber F385 which boasts a vertical clutch, ensuring that the chronograph starts and stops smoothly without stuttering. Operating at a high frequency of 5 Hz, this caliber has a 50-hour power reserve and is accurate to 1/10th of a second. Its flyback function serves to reset the current timing operation and start a new one with a single press, unlike a conventional chronograph that requires three pushes on two different push pieces to stop, reset and restart the mechanism.

The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback is priced at $26,000 with a ceramic bracelet while the NATO- and canvas-strap iterations are both offered for $18,400.

To learn more, visit Blancpain, here.