BaselWorld 2014: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback Watch

By Jovan Krstevski

 

 

 

 

Introducing the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, a flyback chronograph version based on a new self-winding in-house movement beating at a rate of 36,000 vibrations/hour.

The new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe model houses a new in-house F385 automatic movement beating at a rate of 36,000 vibrations/hour. It is equipped with a column-wheel chronograph mechanism and a vertical clutch. It also offers a flyback function enabling the wearer to reset and instantly restart the chronograph simply by pressing the pusher at 4 o’clock. The advantage of a flyback function is that it becomes useful when taking fast measurements of successive times.

The watch is water-resistant to depths of 300 metres, so are also the chronograph pushers allows wearer to operate underwater without damaging the watch or the movement. The watch is endowed with an Faraday cage to protects the movement from the magnetic field. The watch features also a transparent case-back, which reveals the 18-carat gold oscillating weight clad in NAC (a platinum alloy) and featuring a sculpted Blancpain logo.

While Blancpain has maintained all the technical characteristics of the Fifty Fathoms collection, the aesthetic of the Bathyscaphe picks up the design of the original model. The domed black dial is highlighted only by lines and dots serving as hour-markers, while the date appears in a window at 4 o’clock. The sunburst finish on the dial and the snailed chronograph subdials add a depth to the overall effect. The rectangular hands recalls of those featured on the 1950s Bathyscaphe models. The ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel bears hour-markers filled with LiquidMetal, which gives it a high resistance to scratches. All markers are treated with Super-LumiNova, which gives it a great legibility when diving.