Introducing the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa
As already announced in January, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, at that time we talked about the launch of a first limited edition of 42.3mm with a more classic design and now there is a new celebratory but not limited edition of 47mm, with a more contemporary look and with some new features.
The new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa whose development was in charge of Marc A. Hayek and Laurent Ballesta, CEO of Blancpain and Founder of Gombessa (a marine expedition organization) respectively, stands out on the outside for its bulky titanium case with hid lugs, an unusual three-hour ceramic bezel and a Helium escape valve at 10 o’clock (reminiscent of the Omega Seamaster 300).
Also on the black dial of this commemorative edition of Fifty Fathoms, we find more innovations starting with the extra central hand that works in partnership with the new three-hour bezel, thus completing a 360º turn every 3 hours and the other novelty highlighted it’s the orange applied hour markers made exclusively of luminescent resin, as with the Tudor Black Bay Pro and more recently the Tudor Pelagos 39mm, and which match the luminescent material of the central pencil hands.
Inside lives the Caliber 13P8 that features a silicon balance spring and a three-hour hand, operating at a frequency of 4 Hz and offering up to 5 days of power reserve provided by its three barrels. The movement that can be seen operating through the sapphire case back, stands out for the skeletonized oscillating mass that in the centre is engraved with the Gombessa logo.
The watch is equipped with a black rubber strap that is completely integrated into the case through its central lugs.
It should be available in the brand’s official boutiques and authorized retailers from the third and fourth quarters of 2023 with prices starting at €28,500.
Our Opinion
It is interesting to see the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms with a modern design and new features, the unprecedented three-hour bezel complemented by the extra central hand is a good example of this and serves to keep the brand alive.
Although there are many new details, namely the integrated rubber strap, it is also interesting to note that the classic touch has not been forgotten through the tone of the “modern” applied indexes whose tone reminds us of the patina so appreciated by the most purists.
Undoubtedly, the 47mm diameter of the watch can hardly be within everyone’s reach, although the hide lugs help to counteract this detail, however, we must not forget that its design, in addition to being faithful to the brand’s foundations, fits in with the perfection in the professional diving function, had it not been designed by two avid divers.
Read more here.
General Specifications:
Brand: Blancpain
Model: Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa
Reference: 5019-12B30-64A
Dial: Black
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Case Material: Grade 23 Titanium
Case Dimensions: 47 mm diameter, 14.81 mm thickness
Crystal: Sapphire Glass
Case Back: Sapphire Glass
Water Resistance: 300 Meters
Strap: Integrated black rubber strap
Caliber: Blancpain 13P8
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, three-hour hand
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 Vph)
Jewels: 35
Power Reserve: 120 hours
Price: € 28,500
Availability: Second half of 2023 (estimate)
