The Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 holds profound significance to the brand, echoing the pioneering spirit of the original Fifty Fathoms of 1953— one of the first dive watches— and the later MIL-SPEC edition that went to military markets in 1957. By blending traditional design elements with leading mechanical technology, this limited-edition masterpiece works to bridge the gap between the past and the present.

Crafted with precision and drawing on decades of dive watch engineering experience, the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 boasts a 9K Bronze Gold case that’s water resistant to 300m. This exquisite alloy, enriched with gold, copper, silver, palladium, and gallium, not only exudes a captivating pink hue, but also ensures durability and skin-friendly wear while faithfully maintaining the 41.30mm diameter of the original MIL-SPEC edition. Additionally, the unidirectional rotating bezel features a black ceramic insert with vintage Super-LumiNova diving scale, paying homage to its iconic predecessor.

The watch’s matte black dial is adorned with printed Super-LumiNova indices and a matching pair of vintage-inspired hands, each featuring an aged cream color. The design seamlessly incorporates historic elements, including the moisture indicator towards the 6 o’clock position, which first introduced in the MIL-SPEC model of 1957. The timepiece is secured to the wrist with a two-tone NATO strap made from repurposed fishing nets, underlining Blancpain’s commitment to sustainability and ocean conservation.

At the heart of the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 beats the Blancpain 1154.P2 movement. Making use of a twin barrel system, this innovative movement boasts a 100-hour power reserve, while the integration of a silicon balance-spring ensures superior magnetism resistance, a crucial feature for diving watches. Notably for the first time in this model, Blancpain is offering a 1000-gauss version of the movement, further boosting its anti-magnetic credentials.

Limited to just 555 pieces, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 is priced at $32,000.

To learn more, visit Blancpain, here.

And to see this watch live and in-person, alongside timepieces from over thirty-five other incredible brands, you buy tickets for WatchTime York 2023, here.

1. Rolex Oyster (1926)

Rolex Oyster, Ref. 679, (1926)

In 1926, watches constructed especially for use by divers appear. They have insulated crowns (the crown is the chief point of entry for water into a watch case). It was also the year that Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf introduces the Oyster case, which has a screwed crown, screwed caseback, and securely sealing crystal. It is the world’s first truly water-resistant case. One year later, Wilsdorf asks Mercedes Gleitze, a stenographer vying to become the first British woman to swim the English Channel, to wear an Oyster on one of her attempts. She doesn’t make it all the way, but the Rolex she wears around her neck keeps on ticking.

2. Panerai prototypes (1936)

Panerai watch, PAMPR004 (1936)°

The Italian Navy commissions Panerai to develop the first prototypes of a watch that will evolve into the model now known as the “Radiomir.” The watches, water resistant to 30 meters, go into production two years later. The early Radiomir watches have movements and proprietary cases – cushion shaped and 47 mm in diameter − made by Rolex. They are named for the radium that makes their dials legible even in murky water.

3. Blancpain Fifty Fathoms (1953)

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, initial model (1953)

Blancpain presents its first dive watch, the Fifty Fathoms. The watch is water resistant to 100 meters. (Fifty fathoms is equal to 300 feet, or about 91 meters. It is the maximum depth divers can go at the time with the equipment then available.) The watch is the result of a request by Captain Bob Maloubier, who was a secret agent for the British during WWII and then became leader of the French military’s combat diving corps. He asked Blancpain to make a watch with a black dial, large Arabic numerals, clear indications and a rotating bezel. “We wanted in effect that each of the markers be as clear as a guiding star for a shepherd,” Maloubier later recalled.

4. Panerai crown protection (1956)

Panerai crown protection (1956)

Panerai receives a patent for a curved, crown-protecting bridge. Now a hallmark of the company’s Luminor collection, the bridge contains a locking cam lever that pushes the crown against the case so that it fits tightly against the crown’s seals.

5. Breitling’s first dive watch (1957)

Breitling Superocean (1957)

Breitling launches its first dive watch, the Superocean. The watch is water resistant to 200 meters, thanks in part to its monocoque (i.e., one-piece) case and its especially sturdy crystal. The watch’s bezel can be locked in place so that it won’t be knocked off position during a dive. A chronograph version of the watch comes out in 1959.

6. First Rolex Sea-Dweller (1967)

First Rolex Sea-Dweller (1967)

Rolex introduces the Sea-Dweller, a deeper-diving version of the Submariner. Its distinguishing feature is its helium valve, through which helium that has entered the watch case during time spent in a diving chamber can be released. The watch is produced at the request of the French company COMEX (Compagnie Maritime d’Expertise), which specializes in deep-diving equipment and services, chiefly for offshore oil and gas extraction. The watch is water-resistant to 610 meters.

7. First dive computer (1983)

The first dive computer is introduced. In the 1990s, the use of dive computers becomes widespread, and dive watches are relegated chiefly to the role of back-up equipment.

8. ISO invents dive watch standard (1996)

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) issues standard 6425, defining the features that a watch must have in order for it to be designated a “dive” watch. They include requirements for water resistance (the watch must be 25 percent more water-resistant than claimed on the dial), legibility under water, resistance to thermal shocks and ability to measure elapsed time. Standard 6425 supplants the standard issued in 1984 and is still in effect today.

9. CX Swiss Military 20,000 Feet (2009)

CX Swiss Military 20,000 Feet (2009)

CX Swiss Military unveils the 20,000 Feet, which breaks the Rolex Deepsea’s record for water resistance (20,000 feet is equal to about 6,100 meters) and enters the Guinness Book of Records. (CX Swiss Military had held the deepness record from 2005 until the Deepsea appeared in 2008.) The watch is a chronograph with a 28.5-mm-thick case and a domed back. According to CX Swiss Military, it is actually water-resistant to 7,500 meters, thus providing the 25-percent margin of safety required to meet ISO 6425.

10. IWC Aquatimer collection (2014)

IWC Aquatimer Deep Two (2014)

IWC updates its Aquatimer collection, fitting it with an outer, bidirectional bezel and an inner, unidirectional one. The most impermeable of the new Aquatimer models, the Aquatimer Automatic 2000, is water resistant to 2,000 meters.

Discover the complete history of the dive watch in our download — available in the WatchTime Shop — which includes even more highlights and firsts, like the Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000 and the first Omega Seamaster!

Merken

Merken

Merken

The 555-piece limited-edition is the closest reinterpretation of the original Fifty Fathoms so far, including the trademark moisture indicator on the dial and the original 41.30 mm diameter. This Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 is, however, made of 9K Bronze Gold.

Introduced between 1957 and 1958 on the MIL-SPEC – one of the rarest and most sought-after dive watches among collectors – the moisture indicator made all the difference for the US Navy, which regarded this model as ideal for its underwater missions at that time. A second version ordered in 1964 saw a few changes, notably a case made of German silver with a matte finish to reduce reflection when surfacing, a titanium case back, and a movement with beryllium plates to reduce its magnetic signature.

This third anniversary timepiece is clearly inspired by its first-gen parent: There is the matt black dial with vintage Super-Luminova-enhanced moisture indicator and hour-markers; then there’s the unidirectional rotating bezel with black ceramic insert featuring a vintage Super-Luminova diving scale, and there is the two-tone NATO strap featuring the color code of the original timepiece (made from fishing nets). While the original Fifty Fathoms is made of German silver, the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 comes in 9K Bronze Gold, a patented alloy enriched with 37.5% gold (hallmarked 9K), copper – 50%, allowing it to be called “bronze” – silver, palladium and gallium. Designed to offer a pink hue and pleasing aesthetics, this type of bronze can, according to Blancpain, be worn much easier in direct contact with the skin, unlike traditional bronze, and has a longer lifespan, since oxidation to a Verdigris color is prevented by the addition of gold.

The 1154P2 movement is housed in a case that is water-resistant to 30 bar and measures 41.30 mm like the historic MIL-SPEC. Its twin barrel allows a substantial 100-hour power reserve, while a silicon balance-spring ensures the movement’s resistance to magnetism, an essential criterion in the world of combat diving. For the first time, Blancpain is offering a 1000-gauss version of its movement, thanks to the use of this material coupled with exclusive alloys for the escapement. Unlike the original version – whose movement is not visible because resistance to magnetic fields was only possible at the time by encasing the mechanism in a metal cage – the heart of the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 can be observed through a sapphire crystal caseback, as the use of a non-magnetic movement enables the timepiece to feature such transparency without compromising its resistance to magnetism. The oscillating weight boasts a geometry inspired by the historical rotor, as well as a snail-shaped finish reminiscent of its rotating motion. The engraved gilded vintage logotype sets the finishing touch to the watch’s vintage look.

Issued in a 555-piece limited edition, the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 is presented in a box inspired by a historic camera housing, echoing Blancpain’s ocean protection initiatives. The Ref. 5901-5630-NANA retails for $32,000.

More about the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 and Act 2.

Here’s how: for its upcoming New York Gala, the international ocean conservation group Oceana is holding a live auction for a “Time to Indulge” lot featuring a luxury shopping experience at Blancpain’s flagship boutique on Fifth Avenue. With expert guidance from Blancpain’s knowledgeable staff, the winning bidder will have the opportunity to select two (2) watches from either the Fifty Fathoms or Villeret collections.

The Fifty Fathoms collection embodies Blancpain’s passion for the underwater world that was originally expressed in 1953 with the presentation of the first modern diver’s watch, while the Villeret collection exemplifies Blancpain’s roots and embodies its prime aesthetic choices.

In addition to the horological craftsmanship of Blancpain, the auction includes the best of New York’s City’s hospitality as the winner will enjoy two nights in a suite at the Aman New York and two dining experiences.

One dinner is for four people at Arva or Nama, which are located in the Aman property at Manhattan’s iconic Crown Building. The other dinner is for two people at Chef Daniel Boulud’s namesake restaurant, Daniel. This pillar of New York City’s dining scene has two Michelin stars and will serve a four-course seasonal prix fixe menu, with wine pairing.

Funds raised from the sale of this auction lot benefit Oceana’s campaigns to protect the world’s oceans, including habitat protection work in the Gulf of Mexico supported by two Oceana x Blancpain scientific expeditions. To date, Oceana has more than 275 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks.

The live event takes place the evening of Tuesday, September 19, and to learn more about how you can place an absentee bid prior to the event, click here.

Which means the often quoted advertising slogan “Since 1735 there has never been a quartz Blancpain watch. And there never will be.” that was created in 1980 continues to be true to this day.

Among the five variants, three (ref. SO35P100, SO35A100 and SO35I100) come with a date window between 4 and 5 o’clock, the other two no-date versions feature either the “no radiations” (ref. SO35N100) or moisture indicator (ref. SO35S100) instead that became a standard requirement for the watches produced for the U.S. armed forces.

“Swatch has brilliantly reinterpreted our iconic model, in its own way, with its own vision.”

Marc Hayek, Blancpain President and CEO

For Blancpain President and CEO Marc Hayek, the collaboration with Swatch during the 70^th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms is highly symbolic: “Without Swatch, the Swiss watch industry would simply not have survived and enjoyed such a wonderful destiny. This collection is a source of pride for me. We owed it to ourselves to work with this brand that is as much a pioneer as we are – a reality vividly proven with this collection. Swatch has brilliantly reinterpreted our iconic model, in its own way, with its own vision. As a keen diver myself, I really appreciate the attention to detail in this collection and the many references to the Fifty Fathoms. The fact that it is water-resistant to a depth of 91 meters – corresponding to exactly 50 fathoms, a nautical unit of depth – is a fantastic nod.”

The five Blancpain X Swatch models are all made from bioceramics, a patented blend of two-thirds ceramic and one-third biomaterials derived from castor oil. While the combined branding and colors chosen for this collaboration clearly indicate that this is not a traditional Blancpain watch, collectors will recognize at first glance many of the features and characteristics of the current Fifty Fathoms, as well as nods to the Swatch Scuba collection that was first launched in 1990. Interestingly, Swatch has never offered an automatic version of its Scuba before.

A Mechanical Heart: Sistem51

Sistem51 is an automatic movement made up of 51 parts in total that was introduced in 2013 (in comparison, conventional automatic watches usually have at least twice as many parts). Each of the movement’s parts forms five distinct pre-assembled, pre-welded modules. The transparent oscillating weight that controls the automatic winding is fixed by the movement’s one and only screw. While most mechanical movements require manual assembly, Sistem51 is the first and only mechanical movement with fully automated assembly. The high-tech escapement does not even have a regulator, the rate, or precision, is factory-set using laser technology to avoid the manual adjustments usually required with mechanical watches. The movement, with its 90-hour power reserve, is made of German Silver and anti-rust by design. All parts are housed in a hermetically sealed case. That means no moisture, no dust and no impurities that could impair performance, guaranteeing longevity and lasting precision over time (-5/+15 seconds per day). The movement is made visible thanks to a display back, the oscillating weight of the movement is shaped like a transparent disk that rotates freely on the single central screw.

According to Swatch, the titanium-based Nivachron hairspring is resistant to magnetic fields, variations in temperature, shocks and ageing. Balance springs made from this new alloy, which can be wire-drawn, also cost less to produce compared with silicon. The first watch to premiere the Nivachron hairspring was the Swatch Flymagic in 2019.

Dedicated to the Oceans – and Nudibranchs

While the front tells the time, the movement features one of five illustrations of an equally colorful animal found in all five oceans: the nudibranchs (scientific name: Nudibranchia). They are featured in a digital print on the movement’s rotor: Arctic Ocean is the nudibranch Dendronotus Frondosus, characterized by its soft, subtle shapes. The Pacific Ocean features Chromodoris Kuiteri. recalling warm, clear blue waters. The Atlantic Ocean has Glaucus Atlanticus, nicknamed the blue dragon. Its deep blue colors pay tribute to wild seas. The Indian Ocean, with its Nembrotha Kubaryana, evokes “the mesmerizing colors of corals and the lush, dazzling waters.” The Antarctic Ocean, on the other hand, features Tritoniella Belli, recalling the mystery and allure of icy polar waters. All these nudibranchs actually live in the oceans their watches are inspired by. Each watch also has a depiction of the ocean it represents on the back. Marc Hayek: “These sea animals are pure marvels of nature. With their unlikely shapes and often shimmering colors, they are an immense pleasure to observe in their element during a dive. They create a serene and calming effect. Through its Blancpain Ocean Commitment program, Blancpain has to date co-financed more than 20 major scientific expeditions and helped to double the surface area of protected marine areas around the world.” Another expression of the company’s commitment to ocean preservation, the extra-long NATO straps are made from recycled fishing nets that have been removed from the sea.

The watches come in a special diving case and are available from September 9 at selected Swatch stores worldwide (check the Swatch website for more info on this), purchase is limited to one watch per person, same as with the MoonSwatch that was launched in 2022. The watches will also be on display for a few weeks in a selection of Blancpain boutiques, but are not for sale there. Retail price is CHF 375 or $400.

First Impression

Swatch obviously has set the bar extremely high with the release of the MoonSwatch in 2022. The unexpected collaboration between Swatch and Omega was (and continues to be) an unparalleled global success, and another example that the famous “second watch” from 1983 is as bold and creative as ever. With Blancpain as its new dive buddy, the second collab looks even more organic, in our opinion, and both the famous Scuba from 1990, the Fifty Fathoms from 1953 as well as the two watchmaking brands behind them will undoubtedly profit massively from this stunning release. Perhaps even more importantly, the Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms will also serve as an ambassador for mechanical watches in general, even though the Sistem51 and a caliber like the 1315 from Blancpain are obviously worlds apart.

We were fortunate enough to already have briefly seen all the watches in the flesh (a hands-on follows shortly), and it is safe to say they are as much fun on the wrist as the official pictures indicate. The lume, bezel and bezel action as well as the length of the straps (and screw bars) came as an additional surprise. The Bioceramic loops on the NATO strap, on the other hand, could potentially present an interesting test for the durability of the material.

Overall, we do hope that Swatch will be able to manage the delicate balance between demand and availability as good as possible, knowing how difficult this will most likely be. – It definitely is a product that deserves to come with a buying experience that is as rewarding as owning one. And while there is certainly nothing wrong with standing in line with other collectors, this only works as long as getting a watch eventually remains a possibility.

On this note, we’d love to hear from you. What are your thoughts? Do you plan on getting one? Are you currently standing in line somewhere, or thinking about making camp in front of a Swatch store? Leave a comment here.

Specs

If you are interested in buying one, these stores in the U.S. will carry them next Saturday (one watch per person and purchase): New York (Times Square and Fifth Avenue), Miami Beach (Lincoln Road), Orlando (Mall of Millenia), Honolulu (Ala Moana Center), Las Vegas (New York New York Casino), Dallas (North Park), San Francisco (Powell Street), Houston (The Galleria). Full list here.