Manufacturer: Blancpain Year: Circa 1950’s Case No: 3718 Model Name: Fifty Fathoms Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1361, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle Dimensions: 42mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement
Catalogue Essay
First introduced in 1953, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was the manufacturer’s famed dive watch. Admired by many in the past and today, the functionality and reliability of the watch was most impressive. Whilst its form follows its function, the Fifty Fathoms featured a large bezel fitted with a luminous bakelite bezel, large luminous hour markers and a two-piece screw down caseback for enhanced waterproof capabilities. The present example from the late 1950’s, features a “non-Milspec” dial with “Rotomatic Incabloc” present. The bakelite bezel and dial remains pungently reactive when tested with the Geiger counter. The present watch was delivered to the American market confirmed by the “Rayville” stamp inside the caseback.
As the watchmaking brand with the earliest founding date, Blancpain remains close to tradition, concentrating on classical mechanical watches. Established in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, the Le Brassus manufacturer today continues to innovate with the development of high-quality calibres and is proud of their heritage, having never made quartz watches. One of the firm's greatest successes was the Fifty Fathom wristwatch introduced in 1953 — the vintage models of which are now highly coveted by collectors. The earliest dive watch available to the market, Fifty Fathom came out a year prior to Rolex's Submariner. Another key model is the Air Command from the 1960s, considered one of the most mythical collector's watches due to their extreme rarity. Today, the firm specializes in creative innovated complicated timepieces.