Blancpain's Bathyscaphe In Titanium Makes A Bold Move
3 min read
The Bathyscaphe has been a hallmark of Blancpain's diver's collection since its inception in 1956. The latest edition to the Bathyscaphe family boasts of a titanium case that represents a significant asset in any situation, staying true to the legacy and sporty-chic style of its predecessors.
Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, a new Blancpain design, lives true to its name. This avant-garde diver's watch evokes the extraordinary features of Auguste Piccard's underwater vehicle, built to explore the abyss. This design in a titanium case is a first in the current line descended from the original Fifty Fathoms, besides well the essential technological attributes of the Bathyscaphe models, known for their dependability and versatility.
Blancpain is no stranger to the use of this metal, having used it in a specific line of MILSPEC II models for the US Navy bomb disposal squads in the early 1960s. It has been a trailblazer in diver's watches since the launch of the Fifty Fathoms in 1953, which was the first of its kind and in using novel materials to create timepieces.
Bold In Titanium
Titanium is a trusted ally of diver's timepieces, providing several benefits such as excellent shock, pressure, and corrosion resistance. Because of its low density, this metal is extremely light and easy to wear. The new Bathyscaphe's finely curved case composes of satin-finished grade 23 titanium and measures 43 mm in diameter. It is water-resistant to 30 bar (about 300 meters). This high-end titanium, rarely used in the watch industry, necessitates extensive and difficult machining.
The dial's hand-crafted vertical satin finish, creating a resolutely modern matt effect enhances the Bathyscaphe's traditional luminescent baton-type hands and geometric hour-markers, as well as a satin-finished titanium bezel with a satin-finished ceramic insert and a Liquidmetal time scale.
The Technicals
For this new Bathyscaphe equipped with the in-house Calibre 1315, a landmark in the world of sports watches, technicalities, and accuracy timekeeping marvels are the order of the day. The development of the self-winding movement with a five-day power reserve was after a long search for accuracy and performance. With a silicon balance spring, it is almost completely insensitive to magnetic fields too. The high level of workmanship is also visible via the transparent sapphire caseback, which features a snailed and chamfered bridge.
A NATO or anthracite sailcloth strap, as well as a grade 23 satin-finished titanium bracelet, are available for this new model. The latter's design is similar to that of Fifty Fathoms models, which is a first for a Bathyscaphe timepiece. A new, not so light, light addition to the Bathyscaphe collection...
