Today we begin a new series of articles about the origin of some watches that can be considered icons, and this is the first of these emblematic models: theFifty Fathoms by Blancpain, a revolutionary watch that marked a before and after in the current paradigm of what a diving watch should be.
The reason we delve into how and why watches like this have materialized is that we are passionate about the ins and outs of the passions and obsessions that lie behind the development of some of the milestones of Fine Watchmaking, something that all of us who love time and its measurement have in common.
Because all the technical, aesthetic and mechanical achievements that have enriched and elevated Watchmaking to the category of Art hold small and large stories, exciting, incredible and in many cases epic.
Below we tell you the origin of one of these magical emblematic models: theFifty Fathoms by Blancpain
The origins
Like all great successes, theFifty Fathomsis the result of a passion, that of Jean-Jaques Fiechter, President and CEO ofBlancpainbetween 1950 and 1980, for whom, as a diving enthusiast, the launch of a watch with exceptional characteristics for diving was not only a professional challenge, but an opportunity to combine his two great passions.
The origin of this incomparable model is also closely linked to the development of a series of high-risk military operations. After the Second World War, the French army created a unit of elite swimmers to whom it entrusted top secret missions related to international espionage. These consisted of sabotaging ships and carrying out night attacks on strategic ports, for which it was essential to provide this force with three instruments that had to provide high levels of security and reliability: a diving watch, a depth gauge and a compass.
The unit's captain, Robert Maloubier, quickly realized that the diving watch they needed, which required a series of special capabilities such as measuring dive time and the ability to time the time needed to achieve certain navigation objectives, did not exist on the market. For this reason, he and his lieutenant, Riffaud, devoted their time to designing the instruments that their idea of a clock should have.
With this project, they first approached the LIB company to undertake the manufacturing of the watch in question, but after their refusal, they were lucky enough to find Fiechter, who took on the challenge on behalf ofBlancpainenthusiastically.
Their instructions were to create a watch with a black dial, large digits and clear indications in the shape of triangles, circles and squares, and an external rotating bezel that took the points on the dial as a reference, with characteristics that allowed it to be positioned to indicate the remaining diving time.
For this, Fiechter relied on his own experience as a diver to develop a bezel with unidirectional rotation, which would avoid spontaneous rotation and, therefore, fatal calculation errors. Furthermore, to ensure optimal waterproofing of the box, the screwing technique was incorporated to fix the bottom. And for the same purpose, he also decided to equip it with an automatic movement, which implied less risk to the water-resistance system than the traditional manual winding. Lastly, to make theFifty Fathoms by Blancpaina timeless icon, they added an antimagnetic protection system so that it could be used for military purposes.
Thus, the collaboration between the engineers ofBlancpainand the officers of the French army, since 1953 this model set the standards and specifications that from then on and until today, diving watches must incorporate. An infallible mechanism that was culminated with the incorporation of a humidity indicator. The result was, as we all know, one of the most appreciated watches on our list of iconic models: theFifty Fathoms by Blancpain, named after the concept of the British measure 50 fathoms, which corresponds to 91.45 m, which is the maximum depth to which it was considered that a diver could reach.
A model for military use
Given its high reliability and the precision and usefulness of its functions, the French army established, very soon, that it wasBlancpainwhich is exclusively equated to the French Navy. Other countries made the same decision, and soon the brand provided watches to various armies throughout the planet.
However, military use has always implied a series of technical demands that are not necessary for the civilian field. Such was the case of the North American Army, which among other things required the use of diamonds from a certain supplier, which reduced the quality compared to those used byBlancpain. However, and thanks to the intervention of Allen Tornek, a famous New York watch importer, theFifty FathomsIt was also the model chosen for American submariners.
This circumstance made it necessary to introduce some changes so that the watch complied with the imposed standards, such as the use of tritium, a radioactive element, to increase the luminosity of the bezel in extreme conditions. These characteristics were applied to what we know today asFifty Fathoms “Tornek series”.
The use of this highly radioactive material causedBlancpainsaw the need to distinguish this type of clock from those for exclusively civil use, for which he included in civil clocks a symbol that highlighted the absence of radioactivity placed above the 6 o'clock digit.
From military model to icon for the general public
Despite being a model designed for military use, the version designed for non-military use little by little gained followers among the civilian population, in part thanks to one character in particular: Jacques Cousteau.
The famous French filmmaker and naturalist became very popular thanks to his documentaries about the underwater world, and quickly gained aFifty Fathoms. Of course, this made the popularity of the diving modelBlancpaingrew like foam. It soon became a desired watch, and set a trend.
Not only did it imply the incorporation of its mechanisms and specifications in all diving watches, it also meant a change on an aesthetic level, since until then wristwatches were worn with very small cases (32-34 mm). HeFifty Fathoms by Blancpainmade a larger box fashionable that facilitated legibility.
In this way, the first diving watch fromBlancpainachieved icon status. With the passing of the years,Blancpainhas been introducing some aesthetic modifications to its watch, but it has always maintained the genetic pattern that made the brand and this model in particular great. A success story that makes good that when something works, you don't have to change it.
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