[size=150]Blancpain turns back the clock with its new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition[/size]



The Fifty Fathoms story began with a watch designed to go diving. The Bathyscaphe came from the same world, with a slightly different brief.
Blancpain introduced the model in 1956 as the civilian counterpart to the professional Fifty Fathoms of 1953, at a time when recreational diving was beginning to develop a culture of its own.



Its original 35mm proportions were considerably more compact than the original 41mm-plus Fifty Fathoms, giving the Bathyscaphe the cleaner, slimmer character that came to define the skin-diver style.



For the 70th anniversary of the Bathyscaphe, Blancpain has gone a little further into that history. The new ref. 5903 takes its inspiration from a Bathyscaphe produced in 1968, which the brand chose for its particularly balanced proportions and understated design. That watch grew slightly from the earliest Bathyscaphes to 37.4mm, and it is this exact diameter that returns here, along with its steel bezel construction, a baton handset and indices, a glass-box crystal, and a period-correct Blancpain logo signature.

The dimensions immediately give this anniversary edition a very different presence from the contemporary Bathyscaphe collection. Its stainless-steel case measures 37.4mm across, 12.3mm thick and 46.5mm from lug to lug, with an 18mm lug width. Blancpain says the case was specifically developed around the movement to maintain the proportions of the 1968 watch, with a slender mid-case, curved surfaces, polished finishing and sharply shaped lugs. It still carries proper Fifty Fathoms credentials too, with a water resistance rating of 300 metres.



Arguably the most distinctive element is the bezel. The steel structure extends close to the glass-box sapphire crystal, creating a ring around its base and directly recreating the architecture of the vintage model. The bezel insert also follows the 1968 design, though Blancpain has now rendered it in ceramic with lacquered numerals instead of the original Hesalite. It gives the watch a particularly convincing late-’60s profile and look without sacrificing the level of robustness expected by today’s standards.

That same approach continues across the dial. Blancpain describes its colour as “sunburst meteor grey”, providing a subdued backdrop for baton-shaped hands and applied 18k white-gold baton indices. Both receive vintage-coloured Super-LumiNova, while the mid-20th-century Blancpain logo reinforces the connection with the original. There is a date aperture at 3 o’clock, and the whole arrangement feels beautifully disciplined for a modern dive watch. The narrow bezel leaves plenty of visual space for the dial itself, helping that 37.4mm case avoid feeling overly compact.



Inside is Blancpain’s in-house automatic calibre 1150. At just 3.25mm thick, the movement helps make these proportions possible, while twin barrels provide a substantial 100-hour power reserve. It runs at 21,600 VPH, uses a silicon hairspring and comprises 210 components with 28 jewels. Blancpain has also chosen to expose it through a sapphire caseback, departing from the closed back of the 1968 reference. The finishing is accompanied by an openworked 18k gold rotor whose design draws inspiration from the oscillating weight of the original Fifty Fathoms.

Finishing things off is a hand-stitched chocolate calfskin strap with a simple pin buckle. Leather might seem an unusual choice alongside 300 metres of water resistance, although it makes sense within the Bathyscaphe’s original position as the more civilian member of the Fifty Fathoms family. Blancpain also points out that the leather will develop a natural patina, adding another layer to the watch’s vintage character.



The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary ref. 5903 is limited to 300 individually numbered pieces, each supplied in a bespoke Peli case. Seventy years into the Bathyscaphe story, Blancpain has found one of its most compelling historical references and allowed much of the original design to speak for itself. At 37.4mm, with that distinctive bezel construction and restrained grey dial, it also brings back a detailed, period-specific side of the Bathyscaphe that has been somewhat absent from the modern collection.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition pricing and availability
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition is limited to 300 pieces and is available now from Blancpain boutiques. Price: US$18,300


https://timeandtidewatches.com/blancpain-bathyscaphe-70th-anniversary-introducing/

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