Recently, Blancpain released two new 18k Red Gold Fifty Fathoms in the form of a Bathyscaphe Moonphase and a Flyback Chronograph. We’ve had a couple of weeks to digest and let these sink in, so here is what we think…
Blancpain is one of the oldest watch brands in the world, so its historical roots run deep, all the way back to 1735 in fact. Over that time, the brand has had many firsts and achievements, however, the most notable in the modern era is arguably their development of the world’s first dive watch – the Fifty Fathoms in 1953.
The Fifty Fathoms came into existence when then Blancpain co-CEO and passionate diver Jean-Jacques Fiechter was diving in his favourite resort of Cannes in the south of France. On this occasion, he suddenly ran out of air, which led him realise the extent to which divers needed a time-measuring instrument tailored to the needs of scuba diving. This was the inspiration to create the Fifty Fathoms, the world’s first true diver’s watch.
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Last year Blancpain celebrated the 70th Birthday of the Fifty Fathoms, with several Anniversary editions, and with this year being a leap year, the Perpetual Calendar has been on the cards, having released both a Villeret Quantieme Perpetual and a Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar earlier this year, and most recently launched the Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet in Ceramic. At the end of last month (July) Blancpain launched the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune in full 18k Red Gold, which takes the functionality and movement and gives is a shiny new home in the form of a full red gold case and bracelet.
Now the Fifty Fathoms collection looks sensational in Rose Gold, be it the Fifty Fathoms or the Bathyscaphe variant, and with this release, with a full Red Gold bracelet to compliment the Red Gold case, there is something about the way the hue of the Red Gold contrasts beautifully with the dial, in this instance, the gradient effect blue that runs from a deep dark blue at the outer edges to the light blue towards the centre.
On the dial, you have an annual calendar function, complete with Day, Date, and Month displays, with the Day and Month at the 12 o’clock position and a 4th hand on the dial that indicates the date with the red crescent aligned to the date track on the outer part of the dial. The moon phase at 6 o’clock tracks the phases of the moon, based on the 29.5-day lunar rotation. Inside is the calibre 6654.P.4 – an automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve, silicon balance and beating at 4Hz / 28,800 VpH.
The Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet is housed in the 43mm 18k Red Gold case, which is similar to Sedna Gold used primarily in Omega. The Red Gold of the Fifty Fathoms has a subtle pink hue that isn’t too ostentatious at all, even with the full gold bracelet available on this version when compared to the Nato or Sailcloth strap on the existing models. And being a Blancpain and a dive watch, is 300m water resistant with a uni-directional bezel with CeraGold minute markers to track your dive time should you wish to descend to the ocean depths with the watch.
In addition to the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet, Blancpain also has released a Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph, again in a full 18k Red Gold case and bracelet. Having similar design codes to the Annual Calendar with the blue gradient sunray dial and the blue ceramic bezel with CeraGold minute track the Flyback Chronograph is also housed in the 43mm case with 300m water resistance.
Inside the Fifty Fathoms Chronographe Flyback is the Calibre F385 automatic movement, again beating at 4Hz and with a slightly smaller 50-hour power reserve. As this is a flyback chronograph, you can re-set the chronograph timer whilst running with the reset pusher at 4 o’clock and the timer instantly resets and starts again in a split second.
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Initial Thoughts
For whatever reason, I’m quite partial to a red gold and blue dial colour scheme. Something about the way these go together that word so well. I’ve also thought Blancpain’s designs lend themselves to red gold watches, the Fifty Fathoms especially. Now no one needs a gold dive watch rated to 300m, but like many things in the watch world that are really just done for the sake of it, it’s nice to know that if you had a full gold dive watch you can still go diving with it. At the eendof the day, it is all about style.
While the Bathyscaphe is not my preferred fifty fathoms choice, the original diver is more my style, the Bathyscaphe still ticks a lot of boxes, especially in the precious metal format. The Quantièm Complet is the right mix of usability with the annual calendar andmoon phasee with the sporty looks we’ve come to admire from Blancpain. The Chronographe Flyback’s dial colour is a little more subtle with the way the sunbrush finish interacts with the subdial registers and their circular graining, and love it or hate it, the date window at 4:30 adds one more useable detail. It would have been nice to have the date wheel colour matches to the dial however, which I’ll reiterate for the Quantièm Complet.
Both of these pieces will surely find admirers and for those that have the bank balance to afford the A$88,200 each piece commands, they will get a sporty piece that is done in full 18k Red Gold with a few higher-level complications added to the mix. My choice? The Quantième Complet Phases de Lune purely for the fact that I love a moon phase and an annual calendar function is highly useful in my life. The Flyback Chronographis less so, but still a great variation to a standard chronograph nonetheless.
References:
- 5054-3640-76S – Quantième Complet Pahses de Lune
- 5200-3640-76S – Chronographe Flyback
Specifications:
- Size: 43mm, 13.4mm thick (Quantième Complet), 14.9mm thick (Flyback Chronograph)
- Case: Brushed red gold
- Dial: Gradient sunburst blue. Quantième Complet – Day/Month at 12 o’clock, moonphase at 6 o’clock and date indicator in outer track. Chronographe Flyback – Minute and Hour subdials at 3 & 9 o’clock, small seconds at 6 o’clock and date window at 4:30
- Movement: Automatic mechanical Calibre 6654.P.4 (Quantième Complet) / Calibre F385 automatic flyback chronograph. Both beating at 4Hz / 28,800 VpH
- Power reserve: 70hrs & 50hrs for the Quantième Complet and Flyback Chronograph respectively
- Water resistance: 30 bar (300 meters)
- Crystal: Sapphire Crystal
- Case back: Red Gold and Sapphire Crystal
- Bracelet: Brushed 18k red gold bracelet with folding clasp
