By PEAKLIFE
Since its debut in 1953, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms has been a beacon of innovation and luxury in the world of watches. Originally designed as the first true diver’s watch, watchmakers created it as an indispensable tool for professional divers, combining precision, durability, and style. Just a few years later, in 1956, the Bathyscaphe emerged as its refined counterpart, offering a more sophisticated aesthetic with a reduced diameter for everyday wear while retaining the robustness needed for underwater exploration.
Blancpain takes this legacy a step further with the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet and Chronographe Flyback models, featuring cases and bracelets meticulously crafted from 18K red gold. These new additions to the Fifty Fathoms collection are a testament to the brand’s dedication to crafting timepieces that blend opulence with functionality.
A Symphony of Red Gold
The highlight of these models is undoubtedly their case and bracelet, meticulously crafted from 18K red gold. This striking material makes a bold statement with its rich hue and imposing presence. The bracelet, in particular, is a marvel of engineering and craftsmanship. Each link is hand satin-brushed and joined by transverse pins, providing flexibility that ensures a perfect fit on the wrist. The use of a patented system to place screws on the back of the links preserves the smooth look and feel of the bracelet edges, ensuring both comfort and aesthetic coherence between the case and bracelet.
A Dial That Captivates
Complementing the luxurious red gold, the dial of the watch is a beautiful shade of blue. This colour has a subtle gradient and a sunray finish that makes it come alive with the changing light. This effect gives the dial a sophisticated and deep look, making it very eye-catching. Further, the contrast between the blue dial and the gold case and bracelet adds to its striking appearance. This interplay of light and colour gives the watch a unique character and makes it stand out.
Precision and Performance
The Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet features a complete calendar and moon phase display, a nod to Blancpain’s rich heritage of complications. Meanwhile, the Chronographe Flyback offers a practical and elegant solution for measuring elapsed time, with the flyback function allowing for instant resetting and restarting of the chronograph with a single press of a button. Blancpain’s in-house automatic movements power both models, ensuring reliable performance and precision.
Blancpain has earned a long-standing reputation for its pioneering spirit and dedication to watchmaking excellence. The introduction of the Fifty Fathoms in 1953 revolutionised the diver’s watch category, and the Bathyscaphe series has continued this legacy by blending technical prowess with refined aesthetics. These new red gold models are a celebration of this legacy, offering modern watch enthusiasts a piece that honours the past while looking boldly into the future.
