The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 42mm Now in Polished Steel

One of the first purpose-built modern dive watches produced in the mid-1950s, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms was a key player in the development of “skin diving” and the watch selected by several elite diving corps. Taken out of production in the 1980s, Swatch Group’s Marc A. Hayek resuscitated the Fifty Fathoms in 2003. In 2007, the classic Fifty Fathoms Automatique ref. 5015 made a splash with its large 45mm steel case and black dial. In tune with the trend for more compact case sizes, last year Blancpain introduced permanent collection editions of the Fifty Fathoms in 42mm titanium and red gold cases. Going back to its roots, the latest 42mm Fifty Fathoms to reach our shores comes in a stainless steel case with a classic black dial and all the elements that forged the character of the acclaimed Fifty Fathoms dive watch.

Designed for professional divers, the first Fifty Fathoms models were equipped with an innovative locking rotating bezel, which had to be pushed down before it could be turned, a double O-ring gasket in the crown, a double caseback, an automatic movement to minimise wear and tear on the crown, a black dial with luminescent radium-based indications and hands, an iron case shielding the movement against magnetism and water-resistance of 91.44 metres (equivalent to 50 fathoms).

Unlike the 2024 editions in brushed titanium and red gold, the case of the new 42.3mm x 14.3mm thick stainless steel model is polished. Although a shiny case is the antithesis of a sporty tool watch for some, it produces striking reflections from all angles. Water-resistant to 300 metres, the crown is screwed and protected by guards. Capturing the vintage spirit of the original Bakelite bezel inlay with the luminous lozenge at noon, the domed and notched unidirectional rotating bezel features a glossy black ceramic insert and Liquidmetal markers.

Another factor that distinguishes the more compact 42mm models from the larger 45mm ones is the flat sunray-brushed dial. The applied Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, the triangular markers and hands are treated with Super-LumiNova and the date window, always a bone of contention, is placed at 4:30 and has a black background to blend in with the dial tone.

Powered by the high-performance calibre 1315, the in-house automatic movement has three series-coupled barrels for a robust 120-hour or 5-day power reserve and a solid gold rotor with a NAC coating (and new gold-coloured accents). Beating at 4Hz, it has an anti-magnetic silicon hairspring and a stop-seconds mechanism.

The new stainless steel Fifty Fathoms is available on a polished and brushed 3-link steel bracelet with a folding clasp and retails for EUR 19,550. Alternatively, it can be ordered with a classic black Tropic textured rubber strap with a price tag of EUR 18,250. More information at Blancpain.com.