Blancpain OCEAN COMMITMENT Panel Discussion

Seven decades after the introduction of the Fifty Fathoms, the world’s first purpose-built dive watch, Blancpain remains as connected to the ocean as it was in 1953, perhaps even more so. Through its Ocean Commitment program, the company supports a number of organizations and initiatives aimed principally at the exploration, protection, and preservation of the world’s oceans. Blancpain’s focus also includes raising awareness among those who are not deeply connected to the ocean of these environmental concerns. So when it came time to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms last September, Blancpain also took the opportunity to talk about the state of the ocean. 

In Cannes, on the south coast of France, close to where those earliest Blancpain dive watches were first tested, a group of eminent ocean explorers and conservationists convened for a panel discussion led by Blancpain CEO Marc A. Hayek. Present on the panel were Gombessa Expeditions’ Founder & Leader Laurent Ballesta, Oceana’s CEO Andrew Sharpless, Executive Director of The Economist’s World Ocean Initiative Charles Goddard, and the President & CEO of the Professional Association of ­ Diving Instructors Drew Richardson. This group of esteemed experts talked about the state of the world’s oceans and the future. There was honest dialogue about causes for hope and for concern. The lively discussion, a video of which can be viewed on the Blancpain Ocean Commitment website, touched on conservation, education, advocacy, exploration, and action. The spirit of commitment and cooperation resonated not only among the panel members but also with the audience, and powerfully demonstrated Blancpain’s unwavering ties to the world’s oceans.