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The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tribute to MIL-SPEC has a 40mm case made of stainless steel, that sits very comfortably on the wrist. It measures 13.2mm in thickness, so it does fit under your cuffs without much problems. [links]
In my opinion, but I haven’t seen the original Fifty Fathoms in the flesh, the lugs are a bit more sleek on the vintage models, or perhaps the diameter of the case just changed a bit. However, on the wrist it feels good and fits perfectly. The uni-directional bezel that is made of sapphire (a Blancpain invention from 2003) is easy to grasp and does its job. You could wonder though how many people will bring their limited edition Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tribute to MIL-SPEC really into the water. Why would you risk such a limited and collectible piece, besides the price tag of $14,100.- USD. I guess it is a bit like a Mercedes AMG G55 wagon, if it’s really necessary you can go off-road with it, but most of them are used on the tarmac.
30 bar). The retail price of this watch is $14,100.- USD. Availability is unknown at this point though.
Then there’s the back side of the Tribute to Fifty Fathoms, showing off its mechanical heart. The Blancpain Calibre 1151, a movement that consists of 210 parts and has two main spring barrels (in series) that will supply you with a four-day power reserve. The solid gold rotor has this NAC coating (a platinum alloy) that shows the Blancpain logo in bas relief. Furthermore, caliber 1151 has a silicon balance spring that is more shock resistant and anti-magnetic than conventional balance springs. The movement has a superb finish as you can see on the picture below that we took.
Panerai, a brand which has existed, virtually in secret, for over a hundred years only released its first range of watches for civilians in 1993. Before that, they produced timepieces and other precision instruments for the underwater commandoes of the Royal Italian Navy. Collaborating with Rolex in the 1930s, Panerai is another firm which could lay claim to developing the world’s first dive watch. Using the famed Oyster case from their Swiss partners and then modifying them with larger bezels and high-visibility dials, the resulting creation, dubbed the Radiomir, became the staple model in the brand’s arsenal and remains virtually unchanged today. here
Learning their lesson, the 300M series has been intelligently developed on from that debut, with the design basics left in place and progressive technology added. So the latest 2018 models, all 14 of them, retain the attractive wave pattern dial of the first piece, but it, as well as the bezel, are now constructed from zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), a particular type of super strong ceramic. here
But it is the Luminor range, based on a piece originally built for the Egyptian Navy in the 1950s, which was to give Panerai their most iconic visual. The square, cushion-shaped case with its short lugs lend the Luminor a no-nonsense tool watch aesthetic, topped off by the emblematic crown protecting bridge. The unique feature was enough to catch the attention of one Sylvester Stallone, without whom we may never have heard of Panerai at all. here
Unlike the Submariner however, the Fifty-Fathoms has been subject to myriad different versions over the years. For collectors, the most sought after remain the incredibly rare military-issued MIL-SPEC 1 models, the majority of which were destroyed in the 70s over safety concerns with the radioactive Promethium 147 lume used on the hands and markers. more
Of course, making a watch robust enough to survive a plunge to the depths is one thing. The real trick is to ensure it can also work as an everyday companion on dry land, and it is this pair of challenges which have created some of horology’s true legends.
We examine some of world’s most famous military watches and delve into their origins, from the Fifty Fathoms to the Milsub and more.
What are the necessary qualities that make a military wristwatch mission-ready? There isn’t necessarily a codified list of attributes, but the following traits make for a good jumping-off point:
Ease of Use: The timepiece should be easy to read and operate, and devoid of clutter and extraneous elements that impede its functionality. A cluttered dial, for example, makes the time difficult to read, and a special dive bezel that doesn’t turn easily can make use underwater almost impossible. [links]
This year, Blancpain showed us their Fifty Fathoms Tribute to MIL-SPEC watch. Based on that first Fifty Fathoms with MIL-SPEC 1 from 60 years ago (see image above). I must say that I was totally smitten by this Fifty Fathoms edition, limited to 500 pieces only. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is probably the model I would opt for if I were in the market for a high-end diver. more
30 bar). The retail price of this watch is $14,100.- USD. Availability is unknown at this point though.
The story is well-known, the “Fifty Fathoms” watch was designed for the French navy. Originally, French officers Bob Maloubier and Claude Riffaud started to work together on requirements in 1952 for a watch to be used during under-water missions. Diving watches at the time were a piece of equipment that men depend their lives on. After testing some watches, they were quite disappointed with the results. Until they met Jean-Jacques Fiechter, CEO of Blancpain from 1950 till 1980 and a passionate diver himself. Fiechter understood the need for a proper divers watch and even before Rolex came up with their Submariner and Omega with their Seamaster 300, Blancpain was able to come up with a watch that was able to perform the task for the French Navy.
The work of Blancpain CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter did not stop here. He continued the quest for creating that perfect and reliable divers watch and soon came up with this indicator for the water resistance of the watch. In case the watch leaked and water had entered, the indicator on the dial would change color from white to red. If your life depends on a water resistant watch, an indicator like this makes perfect sense. In fact, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms model that had this feature was called the MIL-SPEC 1 (“Military Specifications”). Introduced in 1957-1958, to meet the military requirements. Early 1958, the US Navy started to test various watches for their under water activities as well. As a result of those tests, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms became the standard-issue watch for US combat swimmers. In the meanwhile, also the Navy Seals were equipped with the Blancpain Fifty Fathom MIL-SPEC 1 watches.