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Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Special Edition - Is It Worth The Hype?

Trends always come and go. Remember Loom bands in 2014? Luckily for us, if a trend can stand the test of time in the watch world, it tends to be immortalised and revered as a collector's item. It's not looked back upon with disdain as a waste of money or an impulse purchase.

You can breathe a sigh of relief, watch fiends. Watch collecting is a pricey conquest with the potential for great returns!

Established in 1735, Blancpain is one of the oldest watchmaking brands that still exist. As part of the Swiss Swatch Group since 1992, they are regarded as a phenomenal brand.

They have created incredible pieces of craftsmanship like the world's thinnest self-winding chronograph and minute repeater movement in 1987, the thinnest ever split-second chronograph in 1988 and the world's first movement with one-minute flying carousel and 100-hour power reserve.

The Fifty Fathoms dive watch collection is an integral part of Blancpain's magnificent collection, and its current updates will only serve to develop it further. It may certainly be time to buy a Blancpain!

This article explores whether the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Special Edition Act 1 lives up to its hype and whether it's even worth casting your eyes over it.

History of The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Limited Edition Act 1

Jean-Jacques Fiechter became CEO of Blancpain in 1950. His main ambition was to create a watch that was tough enough to manage the ferocity of the sea and be legible enough to still serve its purpose.

It was vital to the Club Alpin Sous-Marin member that he wanted a timepiece that had the ability to record elapsed time when underwater. His personal requirements were a double-sealed crown, self-winding movement, a unidirectional bezel that rotated without coming loose and anti-magnetic properties.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Act 1 - Source - Monochrome Watches

This is a concept I’m sure you diving pros looking to buy a Blancpain would be ecstatic about! After running out of air during a diving expedition, he needed to find something that was the quintessential dive watch.

In 1953, Fifty Fathoms was released and Jean-Jacques Feichter himself tested the first prototype in 1952. Feichter would be approached by Claude Riffer, a team member of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s Aqualung company. By 1956, it was the star of the silver screen, worn by the man himself in The Silent World.

Aqualung was supplying dive equipment to the French Navy diving team and the Navy took the production model on, requesting only that the watch had greater magnetism. An account was even given that a model had been lost in 18 metres of water during a dive and was retrieved 24 hours later, still in perfect condition. It shows the strength of heritage and top notch build quality if you intend to buy a Blancpain.

Military history is a constant in the lifetime of The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms collection. Some of the most desired models are the ‘MIL-SPEC 1’ edition. Used by the US Navy, some were also released for civilian consumption, and had unique characteristics such as dial-mounted internal humidity indicators. This shows the level of innovation that goes into Blancpain models that are transferable both in highly pressurised environments like the armed forces and in everyday use.

The Quartz Crisis of the 1970s took its toll on every watch brand, including Blancpain. The Fifty Fathoms dive watch therefore seemed to start its descent with no ropes to the surface. It would be the turn of the 21st century where Fifty Fathoms was revived in 2003 through a 50th anniversary model reference 2200B1130 wherein three limited editions of 50 pieces were released.

The three release theme has continued on to this year with the turn of the 70th anniversary. Three 70 piece ‘Series I’ editions have subsequently been sent out into the waves of public opinion and aptly named ‘Act 1’. But no watch fans, this ain't no Shakespeare play but we do like the dramatic title!

In Act 1, Blancpain took to the middle ground and created a 42.3mm case to half the standard release size of 45mm and the limited edition sizes of 40mm. ‘Act Two’ is now underway and promises to be the ultimate diving watch for those looking to buy a Blancpain.

Personality Of The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Limited Edition Act 1

The Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary still retains its original design which is curiously simple. This would put it into question… Why is this dive watch so popular? Well my Timelord companions, let's dive deep inside Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Edition dive watch and see why you should buy a Blancpain Act 1.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Act 1 - Source - Oracle Time

Fitted with Blancpain's in-house automatic 1315 calibre, it is larger than its 2003 predecessors and as such, the case size has had to increase from 40mm to 42.3mm. The older FP 1151 calibre measures 27.40 x 3.25mm while the calibre 1315 in the Act 1 model measures at 30.60mm x 5.56mm.

Created in 2007, this automatic movement beats at 28,800VpH and has an automatic movement. Well renowned for its tough resistance, it has a three-barrel structure which allows for a very impressive five-day power reserve.

If a watch is not anti-magnetic, any brief exposure to a magnetic field from the most innocuous items such as speakers or computers can impair the watches accuracy. All we can vouch for is that it's a good job that this model has a silicon balance spring.

Its anti-magnetism design is so advanced that it removes the need for a soft iron cage as found in the Rolex Milgauss. This also allows for an unfiltered look into the back of the case to view the spectacular movement in all its horological glory.

If you can't tear your eyes from the movement for but a second, you’ll notice the platinum rotor is engraved with Fifty Fathoms 70th as an ode to the phenomenal anniversary accomplishment. An upgrade from its previous gold version, platinum weighs more which should certainly increase the efficiency of the automatic winding system. It may be a reference to the 70 year ‘Platinum Jubilee’.

A far fetch, but we all like a tall tale behind dive watches.

Will The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Limited Edition Act 1 Stand The Test Of Time?

Now no-one likes a showoff. However, you get a free pass if you are the proud owner of a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Special Edition. If that's not a strong enough pull to buy a watch like this superlative diver, we don't know what is!

The standard production of the Fifty Fathoms dive watch was a 45mm case with 40mm cases reserved solely for limited edition models. Blancpain opted to split the difference in the first model at 42.3mm while boosting the second release to a whopping 47mm. For some enthusiasts, this might sit a little too chunky on the wrist.

While the size of the Act 1 does make up the difference between the large 45mm and smaller 40mm, it's made to its exact proportions as an ode to its past. It's a link to the original 1953 Fifty Fathoms which was made to be 42.3mm. Blancpain really knows how to make the most of their history!

Crafted out of resilient stainless-steel, the metal is polished to glean a mirror like finish. The sapphire insert bezel has a luminous timing scale and a screw-down crown which attains a fantastic 300m depth rating. Furthermore, the case has a 60-minute diving scale to organise compression phases and other diving functions.

Everything about this watch seems to hark back to its 50th anniversary release. This also relates to the black sunburst dial which has the unique placement of the date window midway between 4 and 5 o’clock. Some things have changed, however, watch fans.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Act 1 - Source - Oracle Time

The dial proudly states the 70th anniversary text above 6 o’clock while the number and indices are no longer metallically framed. Instead, the applied batons and quarter numerals are solid blocks of luminous material. This makes the watch extremely legible, a key component of a diving watch if you are wanting to make a splash with this beauty.

The sword-style hour and minute hands are coated with SuperLumiNova along with the central small second's hand which is coated with lume and has a red tip. The hands are very legible and do not detract from the similarly Super-LumiNova coated Arabic numerals.

It's nice to see that Blancpain are environmentally conscious, creating a NATO-style watch strap that is 100% recycled and entirely recyclable from fishing nets. Furthermore, the NATO style strap is perfect for all manner of events. It's lightweight, quick drying and durable meaning it’s at home strolling on the beach as it is when enjoying after dinner cocktails.

It dresses down the formality of a dive watch which can even be paired with a black suit if you dare. Perfect for those looking to buy a watch which can suit most outfits. In particular, you could keep with the nautical theme and wear a sea blue jumper to contrast with the black Act 1.

It's the perfect watch for the modern consumer. Blancpain has understood the assignment of folks looking for smaller watches nowadays, being environmentally conscious and still wanting that classic aesthetic.

Sure, it wasn’t groundbreaking. After all, Rolex came along with the Oyster in 1926 that was considered one of the pioneering water-resistant watches. Many followed such as the Omega Seamaster, released in 1948. Nevertheless, the Fifty Fathoms paved the way through its impressive specs that set the horological wheels in motion for other modern dive watches to aspire to.

What's Next For Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Celebrations?

Act 2 of Blancpain's thrilling play represents the second 70th anniversary celebratory release which has been in the works for five years.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Act 2 - Source - Time and Watches

Tested by professional diver Laurent Ballesta who is the founder of the Gombessa project, the watch is dutifully named the ‘Tech Gombessa’. The Gombessa project essentially follows extreme underwater expeditions around the world.

Using CEO Marc Hayek’s and Ballesta’s joint patent, namely a hand wind movement which performs a three hour countdown, the dial is finished in absolute black. Consequently, this means the finish captures almost 97% of available light, allowing the hands, indices and markers on the ceramic bezel to stand out.

It's significantly larger than Act 1 as it is 47mm of titanium which is, however, lighter and more durable than stainless steel. Four dive watch prototypes were tested in the Mediterranean in 2019 and 2021 and worn for a month inside of a hyperbaric chamber by those divers involved in the Gombessa 5 and 6 expeditions.

We feel it's a tough watch that will stand up to pretty much anything but still allows for an open back showcasing the fantastic 1315 movement. Its special oscillating weight is engraved with the Gombessa Expeditions logo.

There are still other watches to be released but we are just as much in the know as you are. All we know is we have a huge urge to buy a Blancpain. Keep em coming!

Will the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Limited Edition Act 1 Special Edition Hold Its Value?

The golden rule of the watchmaking and general economic world finds that demand must surpass supply in order for the watch to grow in value. Oh and that small factor called rarity.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Act 1 - Source - Time+Tide

It's still early days but the fact it sold out almost immediately after its release is extremely promising for those collectors looking for an investment piece. Furthermore, there are only 210 watches in circulation with 70 sent to EMEA, Asia Pacific and Americas regions.

Its exclusivity, combined with the current hype around the model is a sure fire sign that the model will retain its value. What we don't know however, is what the rest of the models will look like. As we only know Act 1 and Act 2, with Act 2 garnering mass appeal as an incredible dive watch, there could be a chance that the Act 1 is the ‘ugly duckling’, so to speak.

So far, however, its fast selling rate is indicative that the collection as a whole is very desirable. We can no longer see how much it would be at retail to buy a Blancpain at the time of writing. But what we do know is they have written the horological blueprint on what dive watches should strive for.

Conclusion

So, my friends. What have we learned from all this? The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary party is still raging on. With other releases on the way, Blancpain have been cranking out phenomenal watches during this period.

The Fifty Fathoms Act 1 dive watch is the modern user's dive watch. Smaller than the standard 45mm dive watches Blancpain releases, it still has the capability of reaching 300m of water resistance thanks to its strong stainless steel case and screw down crown.

Compared with The Fifty Fathoms Act 2 dive watch, it’s not aiming to be like the Rolex Deepsea or Blancpain's diving predecessors. It could be the watch that leads a size revolution. After all, bigger isn't always better, you know? Especially when it comes to those looking to buy a Blancpain for everyday usage.

Feeling an intolerable itch to buy a Blancpain? Want to get your hands on the next release? Chrono Hunter can easily assist with all your watchmaking desires. Have a chat with our team here or check out our fantastic reviews on Trustpilot to see why we should be your one and only to buy a watch or sell a watch.

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