Launched in 1953, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is arguably the first modern automatic dive watch ever to be introduced with a rotating bezel. Released as a commission piece for the French 'Frogmen' – an elite military group of combat swimmers, the Fifty Fathoms was designed with extremely strict requirements in mind with its task of keeping its wearers alive on their life-or-death military missions at its central design philosophy.
With the pre-occupation for diver safety, Jean-Jacques Fiechter, the CEO of Blancpain at the time introduced a supplementary moisture indicator function to the existing design shortly after the Fifty Fathom’s initial release. As a result of this new innovation, the Mil-Spec 1 was born. At the time, this was an incredibly important feature due to the lack of dive computers and technology engineered for deep dive missions and allows divers to check the integrity of the watch during such missions.
Offered here today is a faithful reinterpretation of that exact iconic design - the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Mil-Spec Tribute, which was unveiled during Baselworld 2017 to celebrate the iconic Fifty Fathom’s 60th anniversary. Diving right into the details (pun intended), the Fifty Fathoms Mil-spec Tribute is presented in a 40.3mm stainless steel case with strong lugs with sharp clefts. A quick glance over the signed crown, you will note that the crown is shrouded by a pair of fairly short guards acting as a shear guard. As far as aesthetics are concerned, the Fifty Fathoms Mil-Spec tribute is an agreeable watch on the wrist that retains the famous Fifty Fathoms' aesthetic in abundance with its iconic luminous sapphire crystal bezel, which also features fantastic knurling that contributes to its grip. It also features a thick domed sapphire crystal that is suspended over the Fifty Fathom's dial, which in turn lends the watch a greater sense of visual depth.
Perhaps the Mil-Spec Tribute's most distinctive piece of design is its incredibly legible black dial. Featuring large luminous markers, a small and subtle date indicator at 4 o’clock with a matching black date wheel, and its signature trapezoidal marker at 12 o'clock, the dial is immediately reminiscent of the original Fifty Fathoms 1957 Mil-spec 1. However, its most apparent link to the original example from 1957 is not its hour markers but its fully-functioning moisture indicator at 6 o'clock. A horizontally imposed orange and white circular disc that will turn completely red if the 300m water resistance is compromised.
Powering this workhorse of a watch from within and underneath its exhibition sapphire caseback is Blancpain's 28-jeweled, self-winding Cal. 1151 with traditional Geneva stripes, which provides the watch with a 96-hour power reserve that ensures continuous running for extended periods of rest, should you manage to keep it off your wrist. The 18-carat rotor on the movement is also beautifully finished with NAC coating (a type of palladium alloy).
Strapped to a stainless-steel bracelet that is equipped with a deployant clasp, this 500-piece limited edition also provides an additional sailcloth strap. Comfortable on the wrist, rare, and historically minded, this Fifty Fathoms Tribute is also a fine instrument.
Overall, the Mil-Spec Tribute retains an air of heritage-centric design, something you would expect from a design revival like this, and one that I think is quite the addition to any dive watch enthusiast’s collection.
