Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Celebrates 70th Anniversary Now With Act 3 In Bronze Gold
Blancpain continues to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its legendary Fifty Fathoms and after presenting a limited edition of 210 pieces in 42 mm steel in January of this year and just a month later showed another celebratory but not limited edition, in 47 mm titanium, now it’s time for the third act which arrives in a limited edition of 555 pieces in 41 mm 9k Bronze Gold.
In the first celebratory edition, the watch presented a layout very similar to the 1953 original, in the second the focus was on a more contemporary look and now the third is inspired by the original “Mil-Spec” model adopted by the main armed forces of the time, and with a diameter faithful to the original.
So we find on the outside a bronze gold case measuring 41.30 mm in diameter by 13.30 mm thick that comes with a satin-brushed finish, unidirectional bezel with black ceramic insert and a diving scale filled with Super-LumiNova in a gold tone, box sapphire crystal, screw-down crown at 3 o’clock, screwed open case back and 300m water resistance.
The matte black dial is designed with a white minute track whose tone extends to the brand’s lettering and the 70th-anniversary model at noon, hour markers in the form of geometric figures that, together with the pencil hands, are filled with the same luminescent material that we find on the bezel, and a bicolour white-grey moisture indicator at 6 o’clock.
Inside runs the Caliber 1154.P2, with a silicon balance spring that guarantees resistance to magnetic fields up to 1000 Gauss. It operates at 21,600 Vph and offers up to 100 hours of power reserve thanks to its twin barrels. The automatic movement can be seen working through the sapphire case back, which, in addition to highlighting the rotor engraved in 18k gold with the name of the Swiss watchmaking brand and the model that celebrates the anniversary, comes engraved with individual numbering.
The dive watch comes attached to a black NATO strap with a centre gold vertical stripe and a pin buckle in the same material as the case.
Of the three celebratory editions, this is the most expensive considering the precious material of its case, with the price reaching CHF 30,000.
Our Opinion
When I saw the first image of this latest edition of the 70th anniversary of Fifty Fathoms I couldn’t help but associate it with the recent collaboration with Swatch, especially with the ‘Pacific Ocean’ model, largely thanks to its yellow case tone and black bezel, which It immediately became my favourite.
But jokes aside, although I still largely prefer the layout of the original 1953 model with Arabic numerals and domed bezel, compared to the ‘Mil-Spec’ I find myself forced to surrender to its simplicity where the absence of the date window and the presence of a moisture indicator is not indifferent to me, as is the more moderate case size, although we are only talking about 1mm.
Read more here.
General Specifications:
Brand: Blancpain
Model: Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3
Reference: 5901-5630-NANA
Dial: Black
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Case Material: 8K Bronze Gold
Case Dimensions: 41.30 mm diameter, 13.30 mm thickness
Crystal: Sapphire Glass
Case Back: Sapphire Glass
Water Resistance: 300 Meters
Strap: Black NATO strap with a bronze-gold pin buckle
Calibre: 1154.P2
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, moisture indicator
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 Vph)
Jewels: 28
Components: 192
Power Reserve: 100 hours
Price: CHF 30,000
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: Yes, 555 pieces
