The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Sport is a serious dive watch with and impressive lineage that put it on the wrist of the most renowned pioneer of underwater exploration - Jacques Cousteau - who wore a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms during the filming of The Silent World back in 1956. Developed to fulfill a request from the French Ministry of Defense for a watch that would stand up to rigorous underwater operations, the Fifty Fathoms is about as pure of a diving watch as can be found in current production among the old-line Swiss houses.
Aside from the date display that's tucked between the 4 and 5 o'clock markers and bi-directionally adjustable, every indication provided by the Fifty Fathoms is essential for diving. Without any superfluous subdials to obscure the dial, it's easy to glean the total bottom time (by way of the uni-directional bezel that's adjusted to line up with the minutes hand just before descending) and the time of day with just a quick glance at the 50 Fathoms. The bezel of the Fifty Fathoms is particularly nice for diving; it's easy to grasp with gloves and is wider than most so that it's especially easy to read.
Inside the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Sport is the Blancpain Caliber 1315 movement. It has a shockproof balance system designed to endure real world conditions and a heavy bi-metal rotor that makes it a very efficient winder.
The Fifty Fathoms Sport is 45mm in diameter and 15.5mm thick. It's comfortable to wear and has a classic air that makes it equally at home in non-aquatic pursuits. It comes equipped with a Kevlar strap and double-fold deployant clasp. MSRP is $11,100 US
