News: Blancpain celebrates 70th anniversary of the first diving watch

Over the next 12 months, from January 2023, Blancpain will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first modern diving watch – their Fifty Fathoms.

Press Release

News: Blancpain celebrates 70th anniversary of the first diving watch

Timepieces and exclusive experiences will punctuate the next 12 months, orchestrated around the key number 70, as well as 20 and 10: 70 for the 70th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms; 20 for the 20th anniversary of the contemporary Fifty Fathoms and Blancpain’s Ocean Commitment; and 10 for the 10th anniversary of the Gombessa expeditions.

“Passion makes us lose track of time”, concedes Jean-Jacques Fiechter, CEO of Blancpain from 1950 to 1980. With this in mind, he was dreaming of a watch sufficiently rugged, reliable, water-resistant and readable to be his trusted underwater companion.

About the Fifty Fathoms

Launched in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms is the first modern diver’s watch. Created by a diver to meet the needs of underwater exploration, it was chosen by diving pioneers and elite marine corps around the world as a professional timekeeping instrument. With its water resistance, robust doubled-sealed crown, self-winding movement, contrasting dark dial with luminescent indications, unidirectional rotating bezel and anti-magnetic protection, the Fifty Fathoms has become an indispensable instrument for divers on their underwater missions.

These key signature elements that established the Fifty Fathoms as the archetypal diver’s watch continue to define the identity of such timepieces for

the entire watch industry. Bearing witness to the past while simultaneously looking firmly to the future, contemporary Fifty Fathoms models incorporate modern movements renowned for their robustness and reliability. They feature numerous technical innovations derived from Blancpain’s longstanding experience in the field of diving, its risks and its imperious necessities.

The Fifty Fathoms has played an essential role in the development of scuba diving and the discovery of the ocean world. It has enabled Blancpain to forge close links with the ocean community that have been consistently strengthened over the past 70 years. The Fifty Fathoms is the catalyst for Blancpain’s commitment to the preservation of the ocean.