In 1953, Blancpain’s then-CEO and passionate diver Jean-Jacques Fiechter made two consequential decisions: he released the Fifty Fathoms—one of the world’s first commercially available dive watches—and registered the name “Bathyscaphe” after a submersible created by Swiss scientist Auguste Piccard. Fiechter trademarked the term just 10 days after one of Piccard’s headline-making dives in Capri.
Blancpain would use it three years later for its new skin-diver watch, a stripped-down version of its more professionally geared Fifty Fathoms. The new release is a lesson in what it takes to make a hit watch in 2026. Step one: Search the archives
Blancpain’s is releasing this new Bathyscape to honor 70 years of the piece. This 300-piece limited-edition Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe ref.
5903 1110 63A is the spitting image of the 1968 version. Even the vintage logo has been faithfully reproduced for the dial of this new model. Digging a watch out of the history books is even more effective when it comes with at least some historical heft. Blancpain’s important contributions to the early story of the dive watch are often overlooked given the overwhelming popularity of the Submariner; furthermore, within Blancpain lore, the Fifty Fathoms tends to hog the spotlight, especially given its military connection.
The Bathyscaphe—both vintage and modern—is an important model
But the Bathyscaphe—both vintage and modern—is an important model that continues to define the brand’s connection to the sea. Step two: Slim it down
Blancpain’s selection of this particular ‘68 model is smart because, rather than being built using the beefier geometry of a roughly 40mm case with crown guards, skin divers were typically designed to be smaller. Today’s Bathyscaphe fits the bill perfectly.
The new reference measures just 37.4mm. While the original skin divers wouldn’t have conformed to modern standards for dive watches, the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscape departs from those midcentury specs. A serious tool with 300m of water resistance, it’s a lovely modern reimagining—complete with vintage-colored lume and more compact proportions—of a model that no longer plays second fiddle to its more famous cousin.
Step three: Modernize it without messing it up
While this piece looks like it just stepped out of a time machine, it operates with all the ease, toughness, and reliability we expect from a modern luxury timepiece. The original’s bezel insert has been replaced with black ceramic for increased durability, and its acrylic crystal has been given a sapphire makeover. The crown guard-less design and twisted lugs are complemented by a signed, screw-down crown, while a transparent sapphire caseback gives a window into the Blancpain Manufacture Calibre 1150 automatic movement with 18K gold rotor—which, interestingly enough, beats at an old-school 3 Hz, giving it a power reserve of 100 hours.
The Bathyscaphe—comfortable, handsome, and small (ish)—is now
The Bathyscaphe—comfortable, handsome, and small (ish)—is now a full-on luxury watch with a price tag to boot. The limited-edition costs $18,300; for comparison, a Submariner Date in steel costs $11,350. The dial is simple and legible, done up in a sunburst grey color with luminous 18K white gold baton indices and hands and a framed date window at 3 o’clock. As is the case with all good tool watches, there’s little to distract the wearer from the actual work of quickly discerning the time, while the fully hashed bezel can be used to track bottom time or decompression stops.
Three years ago, Blancpain was celebrating the anniversary of its true icon, the Fifty Fathoms, in every way possible, including a blockbuster collaboration with Swatch. Now, with this new Bathyscaphe, the brand is proving even its B-sides are worthy of celebrating.
Source: www.gq.com
