Not everyone is aware that the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was the first ever diving watch and the genesis of this watchmaking icon is due to Jean–Jacques Fiechter, Blancpain‘s CEO from 1950 to 1980, who was a professional diver. Fiechter was the only one to fulfill the requests of French frogmen Captain Robert “Bob” Maloubier and Lieutenant Riffaud, along with the French Minister of Defense, who were looking for a reliable instrument, able to provide a strong luminescence underwater and capable of precisely measuring the amount of oxygen left in their scuba tanks.

Blancpain came up in 1953 with their Fifty Fathoms or 50 Fathoms which correspond, in the English measurement system, to a depth of 91.45m. Featuring a 42mm wide case, a unidirectional rotating bezel and large luminous indexes, one of the most famous watches of the modern era, followed by other iterations like the Bathyscaphe, was officially born. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms officially is the first ever diving watch.

(Photo credit: Horbiter®’s proprietary photo-shooting)

Gaetano C @Horbiter®

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