The fact that makes Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms one of the best dive watches on the market is that it blends function with retro style effortlessly. However, there is also the Bathyscaphe version of the fifty fathoms, which swaps some of the retro elements for a utilitarian aesthetic. The Bathyscaphe has more of a professional tool watch appearance, making it the perfect candidate for a titanium case. Meet the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Titanium.
Bathyscaphes are available in two sizes, 38mm or 43mm, and this watch fits into the larger of those two options. Which makes sense because the 43mm diameter means there is more case on show and that’s the focal point of this edition. Titanium is a great material for watchmaking because it is lightweight, durable and most importantly corrosion resistant, meaning it won’t show signs of wear and is perfectly suited to dips in the ocean.
Titanium can be a hard material to make look good because it tends to keep a relatively dull grey colour whatever you do, but with the Bathyscaphe’s tool watch vibe that works perfectly. In fact, they’ve doubled down by giving the unidirectional rotating bezel a grey ceramic insert, matched by a new anthracite coloured dial. Although all the markings on said dial remain the same as previous editions.
Inside the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Titanium is the in-house calibre 1315, the same as can be found in all the 43mm models. The automatic piece has an incredible 120-hour power reserve thanks to a triple barrel construction. So, if you only wear it on the weekends for diving trips, you don’t have to worry about it winding down during the week. It might not be a new calibre but it gets no complaints from us.
It might not be the most exciting release from Blancpain this year, that honour probably goes to the No Rad, but as you can’t get that any more, this is a solid alternative. And it’s also available on a choice of titanium bracelet, grey NATO strap or grey sailcloth, all of which are nice. The strap versions of the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Titanium cost CHF 10,800 while the bracelet version is CHF 13,200 (approx. £8,500/£10,385) so they are at the top end of the Bathyscaphe’s price range, but that’s for a good reason.
Price & Specs:
Model: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Titanium
Reference: 5000-1210-98S (titanium bracelet), 5000-1210-G52A (sailcloth strap) and 5000-1210-NAGA (NATO strap)
Case/Dial: 43mm diameter x 13.45mm height, satin-finished titanium case, open-worked dial
Water Resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: In-house Calibre 1315, automatic with central rotor and anti-magnetic silicon balance-spring, 35 jewels, 227 parts
Power Reserve: 120h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Strap: Satin-finished titanium bracelet with folding clasp, or textile NATO or sailcloth
Price/availability: CHF 10,800 (textile NATO or sailcloth strap) and CHF 13,200 (titanium bracelet)
More details at Blancpain.
