By Jovan Krstevski
Well, here’s a fresh drop that’s got some real old-school DNA with a contemporary sheen. Blancpain’s classic Fifty Fathoms, a watch that pretty much helped kickstart the whole “serious dive watch” scene back in the ’50s, is back again, this time in a slick 42mm polished stainless steel case with a sharp black dial. And yes, it’s part of the permanent lineup now.
We’ve seen this downsized format recently in titanium and red gold, but this version goes full circle, channeling that vintage skin-diver vibe with a case that gleams like it’s fresh off the polishing wheel. Some might gripe that polished steel isn’t exactly tool watch material; but let’s be honest, it looks damn good from every angle. The case comes in at 42.3mm x 14.3mm and is good for 300 meters of water resistance, so it’s not just a pretty face.
The bezel is a love letter to the OG Fifty Fathoms; domed, notched and rocking a glossy black ceramic insert with Liquidmetal markers and that signature lume lozenge at 12. It’s all topped off with a domed sapphire crystal that gives it a smooth, vintage-y profile.
The dial keeps it clean and legible with that sunray brushed finish, applied numerals at the cardinal points, lume-filled markers and hands and a date tucked away at 4:30; controversial as always, but at least it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb thanks to the color match.
Inside, things get even better. It’s powered by the in-house calibre 1315, a beast of a movement with three barrels for a whopping 5-day power reserve, a silicon balance spring to ward off magnetism and a stop seconds feature for easy syncing. Oh, and it’s topped off with a solid gold rotor that’s NAC-coated and jazzed up with new gold accents.
You’ve got two ways to wear it; on a brushed and polished steel bracelet for €19,550. Or a vintage style Tropic rubber strap costing €18,250.
