Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary ACT 1

Many aficionados date the rebirth of the Fifty Fathoms to the 2007 launch of the 5015 Fifty Fathoms Automatique, which now has clearly established itself as the “new” classic. Indeed, that was the Fifty that truly ushered in the new era. There was, however, an earlier preview of what was to come: the 2003 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms that consisted of three series of 50 pieces each. Not only did those 150 watches sell in an instant, they, essentially, have never shown up for resale at auctions; all remain coveted by their owners.

The 70th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms Act 1 really should be seen as bridging these two signposts of the Fifty Fathoms patrimony, while adding a link back to the 1953 original. The DNAs of 1953, 2003, and 2007 are all found in Act 1. Of course, the formula for all versions of the Fifty Fathoms springs from visionary Jean-Jacques Fiechter’s original creation. Drawing upon his experiences as a passionate diver, Fiechter established what are now enduring features not only for Blancpain, but for all others seeking to enter the arena with dive watches: a rotating bezel protected against inadvertent rotation for dive timing; exceptional readability with large white hands/indexes against a black background; automatic winding to minimize wear on the crown seal; protection against magnetism; a robust movement suitable for hard use; and, of course, excellent water resistance. Today, the watch world takes these insights for granted. In 1953, however, the combination of these features was nothing short of revolutionary. Illustrating Blancpain’s leadership in understanding the demands of diving was the experience of the US Navy when it conducted qualification tests or its dive watch selection process. The only watch that passed all of the US Navy’s tests and met all of its requirements was the Fifty Fathoms.

Blancpain has vowed never to introduce a Fifty Fathoms model that is not suitable for diving. Thus, Fiechter’s 1953 criteria are fulfilled with the new Act 1 in common with all Fifty Fathoms and Bathyscaphes. Holding the Act 1 and examining its aesthetics reveals further ties to 1953. As was the case with the original Fifty, the dial features Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6, and 9 and baton markers at each of the five-minute marks. Multiple layers of Super-LumiNova® applied to each of these indexes brings extraordinary depth to the display from their three-dimensional character. The hands have been slimmed down from those found on the 5015 so as to echo more closely the first version of the Fifty.

The original Fifty’s bezel was fashioned in Bakelite with a flat profile. While retaining the functionality of the original, Blancpain took advantage of advances in materials in 2003 with the 50th Anniversary model, which introduced a bombé sapphire bezel with luminous markings applied on the underside. Not only did this updated design provide extraordinary visual depth to the bezel thanks to its construction using sapphire crystal, which is second only to diamond in hardness, but it also achieved exceptional scratch resistance. There was one other change from 1953 that arrived in 2003. Fiechter understood that since the bezel would be used to time a dive, it was important to protect against inadvertent rotation of the bezel in a direction that would lead a diver to believe that the elapsed time was less than it actually was. To eliminate this potentially disastrous safety risk, the original 1953 Fifty Fathoms bezel was designed to require a substantial downward push in order to enable rotation. The 2003 Fifty addressed this same safety risk in a more modern, user-friendly manner. Its rotation is unidirectional. It can only be rotated counter- clockwise, eliminating the risk of a false reading suggesting a shorter dive time than actuality. Act 1 follows the bezel design pioneered by its 2003 ancestor.

Act 1’s link to 2007 is found in its movement, Blancpain’s in-house 1315 caliber. Its design and features established it as the gold standard for high-end sport watch movements. Its three series-connected mainspring barrels not only endow it with a five-day power reserve, but thanks to studied calibration of the strength of each of the three mainsprings, Blancpain also achieves a much flatter torque curve than its single barrel peers. The result is more consistent timekeeping over the five-day period than single barrel designs. It is equipped with a free sprung balance and gold inertial regulation screws to realize not only precise regulation but resistance to shocks, essential for vigorous sporting use. Ruggedness should not preclude beauty. Elaborate finishing distinguishes the 1315. Fine brushing of the surfaces of the bridges with gleaming anglage applied to the edges combine with extra-large jewels to bring drama to the view through the clear case back. The winding rotor, in platinum which is fitting for an important anniversary, completes the ensemble. There is one respect in which the Act 1 movement represents an advance over 1953, 2003, and 2007: its hairspring is made of silicon rather than a metallic alloy. The advantages of silicon are manifold. As it is a lighter material than pre-existing alloys, it gives more consistent performance with positional changes of the watch. Second, its response to changes in torque likewise is more consistent than earlier materials, which also improves timekeeping. Third, it is less prone to aging, which extends its lifetime. Finally, it is resistant to magnetic fields. All of these benefits improve performance, but it is the latter which is most visible to the owner. The earlier generations of the Fifty Fathoms addressed the risk of magnetic fields by enclosing the movement in a soft iron inner case. This “double” case design was effective in protecting the movement from magnetism. However, it did preclude having a clear case back. With silicon’s resistance to magnetism, the need for a soft iron inner case is removed, allowing Act 1 to have a clear sapphire crystal case back opening up the fine movement for viewing—a feature not available in 1953, 2003 or 2007.

Act 1 sets itself apart from its ancestors in one other respect: size. The previous diameters were 42 mm in 1953, 40.3 mm in 2003 and 45 mm in 2007. The steel case of Act 1 is 42.3 mm in diameter. The Act 1 is important in two respects. First, it is an homage to the past 70 years and, in particular, to the three landmark versions that provided its creative inspiration. Second, adding its own advancements to its inheritance, Act 1 secures its place as a new benchmark for the future evolution of the Fifty Fathoms.