I love a simple, black dialled watch with a heritage as a robust workmanlike timepiece, so I was keen to feature the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe diver's timepiece. As with many other contemporary watches I've written about, it's the result of a brand using its archives to produce a modern version of a formerly successful watch.
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| Blancpain Fifty Five Fathoms on a NATO-style strap |
The modern Blancpain Fifty Five Fathoms Bathyscaphe (pictured above and introduced in 2013) includes elements of two heritage watches. The original Fifty Five Fathoms diver's watch was produced in 1953 and the Bathyscape (both pictured below) came in later in the fifties with men's and women's models. Both watches were used extensively by divers, professional and military, so their heritage as strong and accurate watches is proven and continues with the new watch.
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| Vintage Blancpain Fifty Five Fathoms from 1953 |
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| Vintage Blancpain Bathyscaphe introduced in the late fifties |
The 2013 watch includes recent technical improvements with a modern in-house self-winding movement, a display back (so that you can see the movement) and the inclusion of silicon and other materials to improve robustness and accuracy. It's waterproof to 300m and comes on a sail canvas strap or a nylon NATO-style strap to reflect a robust military diving heritage. With a faintly vintage look, it feels solid and at 43mm is larger than the originals. This would be on the large side for me with my slim wrists, but size is a decision for you, the potential purchaser, to make. See Blancpain for more information.