Manufacturer: Blancpain Year: 1958 Movement No: 1361N Case No: 759 Model Name: Fifty Fathoms Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Dimensions: 41mm. Diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
Debuted in 1953, Blancpain's celebrated "Fifty Fathoms" model was presented as the first true modern diving wristwatch. The idea for the model arose when two captains of the French navy, Commander Maloubier and Lieutenant Riffand, requested a practical solution for a watch to be used by a new unit of military combat swimmers.Upon finding no existing watch capable of withstanding the extreme conditions of underwater missions, the two officers approached Blancpain with a very specific set of technical specifications, including the revolutionary unidirectional bezel. The watch developed following these requests is considered the archetype of the diver's watch, its name derived from the water resistance guaranteed to a depth of 50 fathoms or 91.45 meters.
As the watchmaking brand with the earliest founding date, Blancpain remains close to tradition, concentrating on classical mechanical watches. Established in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, the Le Brassus manufacturer today continues to innovate with the development of high-quality calibres and is proud of their heritage, having never made quartz watches. One of the firm's greatest successes was the Fifty Fathom wristwatch introduced in 1953 — the vintage models of which are now highly coveted by collectors. The earliest dive watch available to the market, Fifty Fathom came out a year prior to Rolex's Submariner. Another key model is the Air Command from the 1960s, considered one of the most mythical collector's watches due to their extreme rarity. Today, the firm specializes in creative innovated complicated timepieces.